Balance of payments According to the definition of the International Monetary Fund, the balance of payments is "transactions of goods, debts and income between one country and other countries, and changes in claims and debts." The balance of payments is generally calculated on a yearly, half-yearly or quarterly basis. A country's balance of payments not only reflects its international economic relations, but also reflects its economic structure and economic development level.

For a long time, the main problem of the international balance of payments is that many countries have imbalances in their international payments. Countries often have many conflicts and struggles in order to adjust and improve their international balance of payments. Imbalance in a country's international balance of payments is a common phenomenon, and it is very difficult to balance the balance of payments and achieve a complete balance. However, whether it is a deficit or a surplus, if the amount is huge and persists for a long time, it will cause a series of adverse consequences. Therefore, governments around the world take various intervention measures in an effort to improve the imbalance of the international balance of payments. Measures taken by one country often lead to corresponding confrontation and retaliatory actions by other relevant countries, thereby weakening or neutralizing the effect of the country's regulatory measures. Moreover, sometimes the methods of adjusting the international balance of payments run counter to the requirements of developing the domestic economy. For example, if raising interest rates coincides with the period of economic recovery, this measure will greatly affect the recovery of the economy; and if the economic recovery is blocked, it will also affect the growth of international trade.

There is a difference between a country's balance of payments and a country's balance of payments statement. The balance of payments is a country's receipt and payment of monetary funds from foreign countries. The balance of payments statement is a record and statistics of a country's international balance of payments for a certain period of time (one year, half a year or one quarter) compiled according to different items. surface. The balance of payments can comprehensively reflect the comprehensive situation of monetary and capital exchanges between a country and foreign countries within a certain period of time. Therefore, all countries attach great importance to the preparation of the balance of payments.