The yuan ended down against the dollar on Monday, following a weaker mid-point as the dollar repeatedly hit new peaks, while a Chinese central bank official said he expects political pressure on yuan appreciation to ease. The US dollar index , the US currency's index against a basket of six major currencies, hit a six-week high of 76 lifted by uncertainty over aid for Greece and other indebted euro zone countries.
An unexpected complication is the arrest on sexual assault charges of International Monetary Fund chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn. It has risen more than four percent since May 4.
The strong and safe haven dollar also guided the offshore, one-year non-deliverable forwards (NDFs) to hit a one-month high of 6.3870, jumping from 6.3680 at Friday's close. Spot yuan finished at 6.5074 versus the dollar, compared with Thursday's close of 6.4977. It has appreciated 4.90 percent since it was depegged from the dollar in June 2010, and 1.25 percent since the start of this year.