Quote from Debaser82:
asiaprop you seem to be in the know of Asia and China in particular.
Mind if I ask you a question?
Would you care to share the common view towards precious metals by the average Chinese?
Thanks.
There is about 1.3 billion Chinese ... I would discount most any 'common view' of the 'average' Chinese.
That said, here's my answer: The overwhelming majority of Chinese do not have access to, nor would be comfortable with owning or trading metals derivatives. Their preference would be for the physical asset. That said, putting too much wealth in the form of physical metals creates risk of loss due to crime. Corruption is endemic, even at the state banks ... who would dare store valuables there?
If we are talking about Chinese buying Gold today, I generally understand this to mean the diaspora populations of Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Chinatowns all over the world. Many of these Chinese are wealthy and will hold gold in myriad forms.
In order for us to see widespread gold buying by the mainland Chinese private sector, we'd need to see calamitous social upheaval - which historically has recurred in China on a fairly regular basis. During WWII and the early days of communist rule, one way those with money hid their assets was by buying gold.
Currently China is liberalizing its capital markets. China's derivatives exchanges may even already offer metals contracts (I believe they do.) As these reforms continue to progress - mainland Chinese will have greater flexibility to hold different assets, safely, including gold.