What does this mean for the rest of the world?
The most immediate effect is that it signals to the world that Beijing thinks the Chinese economy is sputtering. The move suggests China is looking for ways to get it going again. But it also has major implications for the U.S. and other countries that trade with China because it puts their companies at a disadvantage. In the U.S., it will likely reignite criticism that Beijing keeps the currency artificially low to help its own manufacturers – a charge that could get added impetus during the presidential election campaign.
a currency devaluation helps countries sell more exports, boosting the economy. Right now the Chinese economy is in the midst of an economic slowdown and has suffered from stock market turmoil, so it can use some extra help.
oday, the situation is different in an important respect: The Chinese economy is weak while the US economy is strong, which is exerting downward pressure on the yuan. That means China doesn't have to intervene to make its currency cheaper — it can just let market forces push the yuan down.
At the same time, the healthier US economy makes it easier for the US Federal Reserve to counter the harmful effects of a cheap yuan on US exports. So while there were good reasons for Americans to worry about a cheap yuan a few years ago, there's less reason to be concerned today.
I asked Joseph Gagnon, an expert on international economics at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, to help me understand what's happening in China. Here's what I learned.