Gold buying frenzy grips China
January 06, 2010 17:25:00 IST

A gold buying frenzy is spreading across the Chinese landscape–from cities to rural towns–as you can make out from the words of Xiam Zang, a bullion dealer in Beijing: “Chinese people are buying more gold these days. There are increased sales in jewellery shops for gold ornaments, coins and bars. In fact, many people are now convinced that gold is the best investment asset.”

Zang says as gold sales are rising, “there are increased requests from jewellery shops for supplying them with gold.” “Everyone is doing good business in gold in China. The gold buying spree is not just limited to Beijing or big cities. Even in rural areas, people are simply buying gold despite the high prices,” he added

China is on a gold buying spree and the rush is set to continue in 2010 also as gold jewellery sales in mainland China and Hong Kong are expected to ramp up. According to market experts, present retail price for gold is HK$10,900 per tael and it could climb to HK$11,000 per tael before Lunar New Year.

Gold sales have risen by 10 per cent this year and are expected to accelerate in the coming two months.

A 20 per cent year-on-year sales growth can be expected before Lunar New Year. The revenue from now till mid-February can contribute up to as much as 30 per cent of the full year sales turnover.

Recent bullion purchases by central banks, including India and China, have fueled shoppers’ sentiment and helped sales during past months. The mainland maintained its position as the top buyer of gold last month. It bought 454 tonnes of gold, topping India and Russia.

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