Ja wie geil ist das denn?! Mail von Foo Li Pra (hatte ich im Aqua kennengelernt) - er arbeitet bei der HSBC und hat mir das hier gemailt:

Die Hong Kong Monetary Authority will die Bindung des Hong Kong Dollars an den US-Dollar zugunsten des Euros ersetzen.

Die offizielle Pressemitteilung kommt wohl erst am Montag, aber das oberkrasseste ist: Hong Kong führt sogar Euro-konforme Münzen ein! Der Hong Kong Dollar wird zwar weiterhin Dollar heißen und soweit ich das verstanden habe, bleiben auch die jetzigen Scheine weiter erhalten, aber auf lange Sicht soll man in Hong Kong sogar offiziell mit Euros bezahlen können.

Geht es cooler?

Update: Ich lasse mir nachher noch einen Artikel aus der South China Morning Post schicken, da steht wohl noch mehr drin ...

Update 2: For my non-German friends: This press release is going to be announced next monday, a friend of mine told me. (He is working as a manager at the HSBC). He will send me some more news articles later this day, he promised.

Das hier ist der Text von der HKMA:

During a speech held at the Hong Kong Foreign Bank Representatives Association Luncheon, Joseph Yam, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), announced a major shift in HKMA’s Linked Exchange Rate System. Mr. Yam announced that the fixed exchange rate of the Hong Kong dollar to the U.S. dollar will be changed in favour of the Euro. “This is to reflect our strong economical relationship to Europe,” Mr. Yam said. Hong Kong’s exports to Europe make up about 50 percent of the total exports (without China), representing a value of over HK$ 230 million in 2003. According to HKMA sources, fixing the Hong Kong dollar to the Euro should boost this numbers up by at least 80 percent.
“The dependency on the U.S. dollar has posed some threats to local economy over the past decades,” Mr. Yam explained. “The Euro system has proved to be a strong counterweight to U.S. financial policy.” In an effort to reduce U.S. influence on the ASEAN area, Hong Kong’s plan might have a knock-on effect for other regions as well, Mr. Henry Tang, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region added.

By January 1, 2006, even consumers shall be able to pay with Euro banknotes and coins in the HKSAR. While there is no plan to replace Hong Kong banknotes, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority will issue a new series of coins that meets Euro standards.

Mr. Yam unveiled three phases for the plan that has been negotiated in talks with the European Central Bank (http://www.ecb.int) over the last five years:

1. Switch to fixed exchange rate of EUR1 to HK$7.50 by January 1, 2005
2. Accepting the Euro as valid concurrent currency in the HKSAR by January 1, 2006
3. Issue of new coins in the HKSAR by January 1, 2006

Mr. Yam made it clear that the name of the HK dollar will not be changed to “HK Euro”. Furthermore, he said that this plan has been prepared over several years and it is not a response to current U.S. foreign policy.

For further enquiries, please contact:

Jasmin Fung, Manager (Press), at 2878 8246 or
Thomas Chan, Senior Manager (Press), at 2878 1480

Hong Kong Monetary Authority
April 5, 2004

Update 3:

This has been my Aprils Fool’s of course. I am happy it worked so well. (^_^)

Und auf Deutsch: Das hier war natürlich mein persönlicher Aprilscherz. Hat gut funktioniert, eine Menge Leute sind drauf reingefallen. :-)