While I try to avoid posting on matters not directly relevant to Australia, this one I thought had particular importance to the global financial system and anti-money laundering in particular.

This article on the FT Asia website today, if confirmed to be true, may indicate that China is starting to realise that money laundering, even by close friends, is not in its interest.

On the other hand, they could just be trying to send a political message and will resume normal service soon. Either way, it will be some time before Australian banks can certify any Chinese bank as a true partner in the fight against money laundering.

It is a good first step, though. Maybe the amount of US currency arriving here that was not printed in the US

will diminish.