2011/9/20 Bank of China reportedly halts Europe forex swaps

道瓊調降二家歐系銀行評等之後，市場風聲鶴唳，連一直公開表態支持歐債的中國旗下銀行 - 中國銀行都縮銀根。大型歐洲公司為求自保，也降低在歐系銀行存款，市場就傳出西門子公司從法國一家大型銀行提領5億歐元，GE也有類似的動作。 


Sept. 20, 2011, 2:15 a.m. EDT
By Michael Kitchen

LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- Bank of China Ltd. has suspended foreign-exchange swaps with European banks, including BNP Paribas SA  , according to reports Tuesday citing unnamed sources. 

Dow Jones Newswires said the move came after BOC reached the limit on its trading credit lines, with and UBS AG also subject to the halt. But Reuters reported that the move was due to concern about Europe's debt crisis, particularly after Moody's downgraded the lenders. The Reuters account said Societe Generale SA and Credit Agricole SA were also included in the swaps halt. 

The news came as the Financial Times reported that Siemens AG had withdrawn "more than half-a-billion euros" in deposits from an unnamed large French bank two weeks ago, moving the money to the European Central Bank for safekeeping.