日本前高级外汇官员：外汇干预应以加息为后盾

Core Viewpoint - The use of foreign exchange reserves for currency intervention can have an immediate impact on the market, but its effects will be more lasting if accompanied by a commitment to sustained interest rate hikes [1][2]. Group 1: Currency Intervention and Interest Rates - Former senior foreign exchange official Takahiro Nakao emphasizes that actual fund intervention can strongly influence the market, but a clear commitment from the Bank of Japan (BOJ) to continue raising interest rates would enhance the effectiveness of such interventions [1][2]. - The BOJ raised the short-term policy interest rate to 0.75% in December last year and indicated readiness to continue increasing borrowing costs, yet actual borrowing costs remain deeply negative [2]. - Japan's inflation rate has exceeded the BOJ's 2% target for nearly four consecutive years, contributing to the weakening of the yen [2]. Group 2: Economic Implications - Nakao attributes the yen's weakness to the BOJ's continued accommodative stance, noting that the slow pace of interest rate hikes has resulted in significantly negative real interest rates when adjusted for inflation, alongside an expanding US-Japan interest rate differential [2]. - He suggests that appropriate responses to inflation through interest rate hikes could also help curb excessive rises in long-term government bond yields [3]. - Nakao warns that if the BOJ delays interest rate hikes, the yen may weaken further, and he mentions Kevin Warsh's nomination as a potential future Federal Reserve Chair, who may favor a strong and stable dollar in line with historical precedents [3].