Inflow of 'hot money' hits $35.5b

Speculative capital has 'limited impact' on economy, say economists

BEIJING - China witnessed a "hot money" inflow of $35.5 billion in 2010, accounting for a relatively small part of the increase in foreign exchange reserves, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said in a report published on Thursday.

This is the first time that China announced an official estimation of "hot money" - short-term speculative capital - to the public.