The Global Times is a Chinese government-run tabloid that often attracts headlines for its controversial, well, headlines.

So it was only a matter of time before it got around to the topic of the gold standard -- which, over the bank holiday weekend, the paper said could be revived.

The article in question, though, was attributed to research firm Anbound, a Beijing-based think tank. And it wasn't particularly tabloidy. (The original article "Is The World Ready to Rebuild Gold Standard?")

Its line of argument was roughly that the US no longer wants to be burdened with the dollar's status as the global reserve currency:

When the US decoupled the value of the dollar from gold, it actually committed to take on the responsibility of world finance, based on which a new financial order was formed. It is this financial order that has allowed the US to enjoy huge development dividends. Now, the US is unwilling to continue assuming and fulfilling such responsibilities for the current world financial order, and Trump has continuously intervened in the operation of the Fed and global financial market order. This development points to the necessity of seeking and building a new financial order, which is the fundamental basis for the re-emergence of the gold standard in the world financial market.

This was all part of an argument about "rebalancing", which is ultimately about the relative power of the US and "other countries" around the world:

So the gold standard is an effort by the world market and financial system to balance the "Trumpian future." It means that the US can take its own path and Americans will have the right to look after themselves, but other countries around the world will also have the right to make their own choices. In other words, this will be a process of rebalancing in the world financial market, forcing the US to face up to problems. It needs to make a choice: fulfil the obligations and responsibilities for international finance, or abandon the international status of the dollar, thus allowing the dollar to become a common currency.

Here's another Global Times article from last month, on the People's Bank of China increasing its gold reserves.

It's best to steer well clear of gold conspiracy theories. So we'll simply add that, on neither a related nor unrelated note, the price of gold is up 20 per cent this year.