One reason the strengthening of the yuan will play into the hands of the Chinese consumer is that a stronger exchangerate cheapens import prices, giving consumers greater purchasing power.
To alleviate a spare-parts shortage that is slowly crippling transportation, the company of the president's second son Bambang Trihatmodjo recently got permission to import parts at a state-subsidized exchangerate of 5, 000 rupiah to the greenback.
Venezuela's government has stopped issuing import permits, nor is it providing dollars at the official exchangerate for imports from Colombia (a dollar costs almost three times more on the parallel market).