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TOPIC

Yuan

Yuan
The Chinese yuan, also known as the renminbi, is already convertible under the current account - the broadest measure of trade in goods and services. However, the capital account, which covers portfolio investment and borrowing, is still closely managed by Beijing because of worries about abrupt capital flows.
Beijing has been pushing for the internationalisation of the yuan over the past decade or so, but its global footprint remains limited. Photo: Reuters
Xi Jinping

China is on a ‘strong currency’ mission to make the yuan a global reserve: Xi

Xi Jinping says the goal of becoming an international powerhouse is a long-term one and will rest on core foundations.

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US-China trade war

US presses China to let yuan strengthen – but avoids controversial label

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Hong Kong economy

Editorial | No better time for Hong Kong to strike its golden deal with Shanghai

China GDP

Tale of 2 megacities: how did Beijing, Shanghai GDPs surpass 5 trillion yuan?

China’s two largest cities are outpacing national growth rates, each generating gross domestic products equal to a small European country.

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People hang out at The Bund as the financial district of Pudong is seen in the background in Shanghai, China. The GDPs of Beijing and Shanghai have now exceeded 5 trillion yuan and both cities are comparable to European countries Sweden and Belgium. Photo: Reuters
Banking & finance

Trump says the US dollar can move like a yo-yo. Will Treasuries be left hanging?

With the US president levelling threats at enemies, allies and his own central bank, alternatives like gold and Chinese assets are gaining appeal.

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Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

China’s central bank to support doubling of yuan liquidity for Hong Kong lenders

PBOC to increase yuan facility to US$28.68 billion and issue more sovereign yuan bonds to enhance city’s role as yuan hub, official says.

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China economy

Opinion | Talk of digital yuan challenging dollar dominance misses real power shift

China is merely building parallel capabilities. Whether the systems remain complementary or become competitive depends on how others respond.

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People walk past an e-CNY sign at the 2021 China International Fair for Trade in Services, in Beijing on September 5, 2021. Photo: Xinhua
Central banks

China lets yuan break through 7 per US dollar mark as dollar jitters grow

China’s central bank set the yuan fixing rate at under 7 per US dollar for the first time since mid-2023 as concerns over dollar assets mount.

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China trade

China should leverage buying power to boost yuan’s use, former PBOC adviser says

With the yuan’s fixing at fresh 2023 highs and US dollar uncertainty rising under Trump, Beijing is urged to expand yuan-settled imports to internationalise its currency.

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China's economic recovery

Shanghai unveils road map to rival world cities in finance, tech and innovation

Economic powerhouse has sights set on AI, advanced manufacturing and global financial services, reflecting a national 5-year plan’s first explicit financial-centre directive.

A view of the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai’s Pudong district is seen through an installation on October 27. The city has its sights set on financial and developmental advancements in the coming years. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

China to cut relending rates, widen credit support for private sector and tech

Beyond the central bank’s rate cuts that take effect Monday, authorities will work to lower the minimum down payment for commercial property purchase loans to 30 per cent.

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China in Beijing. Photo: Reuters
China trade

China’s US$1.2 trillion trade surplus

China posted its first trade surplus above US$1 trillion in 2025 as exporters reshaped operations to weather the US trade war and imports stagnated amid lower oil prices.

China manufacturing

Fears over China’s trade surplus misplaced as West also driving trend: analysts

China’s global manufacturing dominance is a tale of two halves; reliant on home-grown industrial growth and Western consumption, experts say.

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People’s Bank of China (PBOC)

China’s PBOC sets onshore yuan fixing at strongest point in nearly 16 months

Analysts note how Beijing’s policy goals, such as internationalising China’s currency and curbing overcapacity, are aligning with a firmer exchange rate.

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The People’s Bank of China set the yuan’s midpoint rate, also known as the daily fixing rate, at 7.0103 to the US dollar on Tuesday. Photo: dpa
Hong Kong stock market

Hong Kong stocks climb as yuan strengthens and investors broaden focus beyond US

Hang Seng Index advances as investors shift focus, boosting Asian equities, with pharmaceutical and healthcare shares leading gainers.

The yuan hit its highest level since May 2023. Photo: Bloomberg
China stock market

Yuan rally drives mainland China and Hong Kong stocks to strong 2026 start

History points to more gains as CSI 300 and Hang Seng Index surge during yuan appreciation cycles over the past decade.

Chinese offshore investment

How China’s global investment model is changing – and what it means for the yuan

The trade war, weak domestic demand and stronger policy support push more firms to invest overseas, with growing implications for currency.

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China exports

Yuan to strengthen to 6.85 per US dollar in first quarter 2026: Morgan Stanley

Strong export growth and US dollar weakness are expected to bolster the currency, the bank says.

The yuan has appreciated against the US dollar in recent weeks. In late December, the offshore yuan dipped below the benchmark rate of seven against the US dollar. Photo: AFP
Banking & finance

Chinese financial firms press on with debt issuance to fund overseas expansion

Guangzhou-based GF Securities announces plan to raise US$780 million after mainland Chinese finance firms raise over US$10 billion in 2025.

Banking & finance

US dollar, gold rise after Maduro abduction as investors seek safe havens

Yuan also remains relatively resilient as analysts predict the Chinese currency could strengthen to as high as 6.8 against the US dollar in 2026.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can complement Hainan’s free-trade port

Jointly designed customs rules could be used in pilot schemes to smooth the customs process for international business.

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People look at phones in the Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Hainan province, on December 18, the day China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan free-trade port. Photo: Xinhua
Banking & finance

How China is upgrading its digital yuan for the stablecoin era

Beijing is upgrading its digital currency in response to the rise of stablecoins, but the goal is to create a fundamentally different system.

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A booth promotes the digital yuan at an expo in Beijing. China is upgrading its digital currency as it aims to create an alternative to stablecoins and cryptocurrencies. Photo: AP
Mainland China

China sets yuan fixing rate at 15-month high amid offshore gains

The move follows offshore yuan briefly breaching seven-per-US-dollar mark, with analysts citing dollar weakness, seasonal factors for rally.

Currencies

China’s offshore yuan breaks major benchmark as appreciation momentum builds

For the first time since 2024, the currency strengthened past the threshold of seven per US dollar – and did it again the next day.

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China trade

China expands digital-yuan push to Singapore and Asean trade routes

PBOC pledges to integrate e-CNY into the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor, boost adoption in Southeast Asia via China’s CIPS payment network.

A customer makes a payment using China’s digital currency, or e-CNY, at a store in Beijing. Photo: Getty Images
China trade

What China’s global yuan push looks like – and what could hold it back

Currency sees wider use in trade, but high domestic savings and partial capital controls still act as constraints, analysis shows.

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The yuan has seen a notable rise as a settlement currency in China’s international trade flows. Photo: Shutterstock
Technology

Opinion | Forget the US dollar. Watch water and energy resources instead

In our increasingly hi-tech-based economy and financial systems, energy and water resources will be macroeconomically critical.

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US-China decoupling

Open Questions | Yeo on how Trump wants to avoid Taiwan upending China relations

Former Singapore foreign minister George Yeo says that Donald Trump is prioritising stable relations with China, and that the US is facing decline amid a shift to a multipolar world.

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