China’s plan to make yuan a global currency enters faster phase

Beijing is intensifying efforts to accelerate the global adoption of the yuan as a reserve currency and financing instrument. This involves expanding infrastructure to support broader investment products, liquidity, and reserve assets. Key developments include:

1. Enhancing offshore-yuan investment products by increasing government bond issuance in Hong Kong, introducing short-term yuan debt instruments, and launching a redesigned yuan-denominated gold futures contract. This aims to provide offshore investors with hedging tools and instruments for managing risks.

2. Strengthening onshore and offshore funding channels by expanding panda bond issuance and trading for overseas borrowers and developing an enhanced tenor structure for dim sum bond issuance. This will facilitate easier access to yuan-denominated debt for foreign entities.

3. Improving cross-border yuan clearing and settlement through the expanding Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS), which has seen a significant increase in transaction value. This will facilitate easier yuan transactions outside China and promote cross-border QR code payments, particularly with Asean countries.