Hong Kong’s Chinese Gold & Silver Exchange Society officially starts trading gold denominated in renminbi today, in a bid to attract the HK$600 billion of Chinese currency sitting on deposit in the city’s banks.

Haywood Cheung, president of the 101-year-old bullion exchange, said the so-called Renminbi Kilobar Gold contracts could boost trading volumes by up to 30%, or HK$40 billion a day, during the next six months. Growth has already been strong this year, with average daily electronic transactions reaching HK$136 billion after a full-year average of just HK$31 billion in 2010.

“By attracting both local and international investors, the Renminbi Kilobar Gold is a significant step towards internationalising the renminbi,” said Cheung. “It also consolidates Hong Kong’s position as an offshore renminbi centre by providing investors with a new alternative in leveraged trading of renminbi.”