TOPIC

Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication

The latest news and top stories on Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (Swift). A La Hulpe Belgium based member-owned cooperative, Swift provided a secure messaging network for global financial institutions for facilitating cross-border payments, developing financial messaging standards and assigning Swift codes.

Chinese yuan and US dollar banknotes. Photo: dpa

My Take

My Take | Why we speak English and use the US dollar, for now

Given its depth and wide reach, it would take a lot to dethrone the King Dollar even if Washington is run by imbeciles. But sanctioned countries like Iran, which must work around the system, may eventually be seen as pioneers in a post-dollar world.

1 May 2026 - 10:30PM

US-China trade war

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

17 Apr 2026 - 4:57PMvideocam

Yuan

China’s yuan may be going global faster than Western data suggests, analysts say

6 Apr 2026 - 11:00PMvideocam

Yuan

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

30 Mar 2026 - 10:03AMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Exclusive | Hong Kong tipped to be world’s top financial hub amid global yuan expansion plan

National People’s Congress deputy Li Yinquan says Hong Kong to gain substantially from Beijing’s push to internationalise yuan’s reach.

10 Mar 2026 - 4:39PM

Banking & finance

China adviser sees bright future for yuan payment system in emerging economies

Former ICBC chairman Chen Siqing says alternatives needed due to risk of financial weaponisation in US dollar-centric world.

26 Feb 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Fintech

Digital finance in 2026: what to expect as pilots move into real-world adoption

While digital money experiments promise greater efficiency, they also risk deeper fragmentation and regulatory pitfalls, experts warn.

5 Jan 2026 - 7:30AM

Blockchain and Web3 technology are “inherently global”, but real-world applications must be “embedded in regulation and local use cases”, expert says. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

Opinion | As power balance tips to China, world needs a fairer financial system

China-led macro region will have to work on independence of monetary policy and partnerships in a fairer financial and trade framework.

20 Nov 2025 - 8:30PMvideocam

Yuan

China’s yuan added to aviation settlements in boost to internationalisation

The International Air Transport Association is adding the yuan to the basket of currencies available for payments through its clearing house.

6 Nov 2025 - 4:32PM

Yuan

As China holds the line in ‘trade war 2.0’, its yuan follows suit

With minimal depreciation and more frequent use overseas, the yuan has shown greater resilience in this round of the US trade conflict.

5 Nov 2025 - 6:19AMvideocam

Yuan

New phrase, new phase? China adjusts language on yuan internationalisation

Beijing now states plainly that it aims to ‘promote the internationalisation of the yuan’ amid growing doubts over the US dollar.

28 Oct 2025 - 4:12PMvideocam

China appears to be stepping up efforts to promote the international use of its currency amid rising tensions with the United States. Photo: dpa

Currency war

Could China ‘militarise’ cryptocurrencies to beat financial sanctions?

Communist Party newspaper Study Times argues that digital assets are the new toolbox for wartime financial strategies.

25 Oct 2025 - 11:55PMvideocam

China-Russia relations

China’s vision of multipolar order depends on yuan-based system: Oleg Deripaska

Russian billionaire and Putin associate says Beijing is taking a cautious tack on dedollarisation.

11 Sep 2025 - 10:08PMvideocam

Yuan

China eyes honing its bond issuance mechanism to boost yuan’s global role

Beijing aims to increase the use of its currency overseas as trading in US dollar assets becomes increasingly volatile.

4 Sep 2025 - 7:00PM

China is upping efforts to boost the international use of the yuan amid growing volatility in US dollar assets. Photo: AFP

Blockchain

Exclusive | Justin Sun eyes ‘Swift’ for virtual asset sector, praises Hong Kong crypto moves

The crypto entrepreneur wants to turn his Tron blockchain into the virtual asset industry’s answer to the banking sector’s Swift network.

31 Aug 2025 - 12:36PMvideocam

Tron blockchain founder Justin Sun. Photo: Nora Tam

Banking & finance

Ant International, Swift and StanChart partner on remittance service

Participants can send cash to 36 digital wallets around the world operated by Alipay+.

27 Aug 2025 - 7:48PM

Australia

Editorial | Record Chinese yuan loan to Australian miner makes good sense

The sizeable foreign loan is a landmark in Beijing’s efforts to internationalise the yuan as an alternative to the US dollar.

21 Aug 2025 - 6:45AM

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Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}My Take | Why we speak English and use the US dollar, for now

Given its depth and wide reach, it would take a lot to dethrone the King Dollar even if Washington is run by imbeciles. But sanctioned countries like Iran, which must work around the system, may eventually be seen as pioneers in a post-dollar world.

Why the biggest threat to US dollar dominance may well be Washington itself

China’s yuan may be going global faster than Western data suggests, analysts say

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years

Harvard economist explains why cryptocurrencies will never take the US dollar’s place, despite their popularity in underground economies.

Exclusive | Hong Kong tipped to be world’s top financial hub amid global yuan expansion plan

National People’s Congress deputy Li Yinquan says Hong Kong to gain substantially from Beijing’s push to internationalise yuan’s reach.

China adviser sees bright future for yuan payment system in emerging economies

Former ICBC chairman Chen Siqing says alternatives needed due to risk of financial weaponisation in US dollar-centric world.

Digital finance in 2026: what to expect as pilots move into real-world adoption

While digital money experiments promise greater efficiency, they also risk deeper fragmentation and regulatory pitfalls, experts warn.

Opinion | As power balance tips to China, world needs a fairer financial system

China-led macro region will have to work on independence of monetary policy and partnerships in a fairer financial and trade framework.

China’s yuan added to aviation settlements in boost to internationalisation

The International Air Transport Association is adding the yuan to the basket of currencies available for payments through its clearing house.

As China holds the line in ‘trade war 2.0’, its yuan follows suit

With minimal depreciation and more frequent use overseas, the yuan has shown greater resilience in this round of the US trade conflict.

New phrase, new phase? China adjusts language on yuan internationalisation

Beijing now states plainly that it aims to ‘promote the internationalisation of the yuan’ amid growing doubts over the US dollar.

Could China ‘militarise’ cryptocurrencies to beat financial sanctions?

Communist Party newspaper Study Times argues that digital assets are the new toolbox for wartime financial strategies.

China’s vision of multipolar order depends on yuan-based system: Oleg Deripaska

Russian billionaire and Putin associate says Beijing is taking a cautious tack on dedollarisation.

China eyes honing its bond issuance mechanism to boost yuan’s global role

Beijing aims to increase the use of its currency overseas as trading in US dollar assets becomes increasingly volatile.

Exclusive | Justin Sun eyes ‘Swift’ for virtual asset sector, praises Hong Kong crypto moves

The crypto entrepreneur wants to turn his Tron blockchain into the virtual asset industry’s answer to the banking sector’s Swift network.

Ant International, Swift and StanChart partner on remittance service

Participants can send cash to 36 digital wallets around the world operated by Alipay+.

Editorial | Record Chinese yuan loan to Australian miner makes good sense

The sizeable foreign loan is a landmark in Beijing’s efforts to internationalise the yuan as an alternative to the US dollar.

My Take | Why we speak English and use the US dollar, for now

Open Questions | Kenneth Rogoff on why China’s yuan will be a reserve currency within 5 years