The Hong Kong Monetary Authority announced Monday the official foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong amounted to 223.3 billion U.S. dollars at the end of August.

Including unsettled forward contracts, the foreign currency reserve assets of Hong Kong at the end of August 2009 stood at 223. 3 billion U.S. dollars, said the authority.

Based on the latest published figures, Hong Kong is the world's 7th largest holder of foreign currency reserves, after the Chinese Mainland, Japan, Russia, China's Taiwan, India and South Korea.

The total foreign currency reserve assets of 223.3 billion U.S. dollars represent about nine times the currency in circulation or 49 percent of Hong Kong dollar M3.

(Xinhua News Agency September 7, 2009)