TOPIC

/ company

People’s Bank of China (PBOC)

The People’s Bank of China (PBOC) is the central bank of mainland China. It is responsible for carrying out monetary policy and regulation of financial institutions, including setting interest rates.

Industry

Banking

Website

pbc.gov.cn

Headquarters address

No. 32, Financial Street, Xicheng District, Beijing 100820, China

Year founded

1948

Beijing’s push for yuan internationalisation is seen as crucial to reducing dependence on US dollar-denominated channels. Photo: Getty Images

Banking & finance

China’s central bank eyes global yuan in first solo 5-year plan in over a decade

The strategy signals Beijing’s push to build a ‘strong central bank’ capable of driving its financial powerhouse ambitions, analyst says.

11 Aug 2026 - 4:16PMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

UnionPay to link Chinese payment apps to Brazil’s Pix after US tariffs

8 Aug 2026 - 4:41AMvideocam

Electric & new energy vehicles

Chinese EV sales falter at home as growth slows

3 Aug 2026 - 5:10PM

China’s Communist Party

China factories cool, CXMT surges, PLA marks anniversary

This week: China manufacturing surprisingly contracts, the Politburo dampens stimulus expectations, memory maker CXMT surges after IPO, and the US bans imports of Chinese robots. Next week: The PLA celebrates its 99th anniversary, July exports may cool, HSBC posts earnings, soccer giants play in Hong Kong, and more.

31 Jul 2026 - 5:00PM

China’s Communist Party

July Politburo meeting read-out

SCMP Plus annotates the read-out of the July meeting of China’s top-level Politburo, where it was agreed that the Communist Party’s fifth plenum will be held in October and which signalled stronger support for the economy.

31 Jul 2026 - 2:55PM

Banking & finance

Yuan: global ambitions

Chinese President Xi Jinping wants the yuan to be a “strong currency”, with widespread use in international trade and foreign exchange markets. Achieving this goal would pare the US dollar’s global dominance and reduce risks from sanctions.

9 Jul 2026 - 10:41AM

Banking & finance

China further boosts Hong Kong’s role as offshore yuan hub

Central bank chief Pan Gongsheng unveiled new steps to grow the yuan market in Hong Kong, underscoring the city’s role in boosting global use of China’s currency.

8 Jul 2026 - 5:11PM

PBOC Governor Pan Gongsheng speaking in Hong Kong on Tuesday. Photo: SCMP

Banking & finance

China extends gold-buying binge to 20th month in Beijing’s de-dollarisation push

PBOC’s bullion holdings keep rising as forex reserves dip in June to US$3.42 trillion and the central bank seeks security from sanctions and US market volatility.

7 Jul 2026 - 8:00PMvideocam

Banking & finance

Beijing unveils policy enhancements to give ‘vitality’ to Hong Kong markets

The governor of China’s central bank says Beijing is set to increase capital allocation to the city to 800 billion yuan under the Bond Connect scheme.

7 Jul 2026 - 12:25PM

Banking & finance

‘Might not be the last’: the red flags behind China’s latest bank rescue

Regulators intervened over concerns of aggressive expansion and credit risks, underscoring vulnerabilities in some smaller regional lenders.

6 Jul 2026 - 11:02PMvideocam

Paramilitary police officers stand guard in front of the headquarters of the People’s Bank of China, the central bank, in Beijing on September 30. Photo: Reuters

Banking & finance

Indonesia set to issue US$1 billion in panda bonds in China

The Southeast Asian country will offer the bonds in an attempt to better stabilise its national finances as the rupiah continues to fall.

26 Jun 2026 - 4:30PM

Indonesia and China flags. Photo: Shutterstock

Yuan

Hong Kong readies offshore yuan initiatives after Shanghai move

Beijing is supporting the development of offshore yuan trading as part of a broader drive to boost the Chinese currency’s global role.

24 Jun 2026 - 11:26PM

Banking & finance

PBOC chief says China a haven for asset diversification in volatile world

Pan Gongsheng tells representatives from about 30 central banks around the world that opening-up measures are working.

11 Jun 2026 - 5:25PM

Gold in Hong Kong

World Gold Council says diversification driving China’s growing reserves

China’s gold reserves have grown for 18 straight months, country’s central bank says.

29 May 2026 - 4:46PM

Gold bars and coins a precious metals dealership in Munich Germany. Photo: DPA

Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA)

Hong Kong, mainland China officials meet to bolster cross-border connect schemes

HKMA’s Eddie Yue, State Administration of Foreign Exchange’s Zhu Hexin discuss ways to strengthen city’s role as a global financial hub.

29 Apr 2026 - 4:33PM

Yuan

Yuan’s ‘golden window’ is open, former PBOC governor says as US dollar ebbs

Zhou Xiaochuan, who laid the foundation for China’s currency to go global, says Beijing can capitalise on changes in the international monetary landscape.

13 Apr 2026 - 2:59PM

Banking & finance

China’s central bank pledges stability in capital markets amid global sell-off

With worries over the Iran war driving down stock prices, the People’s Bank of China has named market stability as a ‘major task’ in 2026.

19 Mar 2026 - 9:30PM

Artificial intelligence

Amid OpenClaw frenzy, China’s central bank adds to cybersecurity warnings

People’s Bank of China says deployment of AI in financial sector should be ‘proactive yet prudent, safe and orderly’.

12 Mar 2026 - 6:00PMvideocam

People queue at Baidu’s headquarters in Beijing on Wednesday to have OpenClaw installed on their laptops. Photo: AFP

China stock market

China’s top court backs legal action against corrupt firms amid equity rally

The court’s initiative marks ‘a positive sign that the market would sustain its upward momentum’, hedge fund manager Zhou Ling says.

24 Feb 2026 - 6:00PM

Banking & finance

China puts another big bank under stricter watch – why now?

Beijing continues to impose stricter regulatory standards on major lenders, shielding the financial system from mounting strains.

15 Feb 2026 - 10:08PM

Yuan

Xi wants yuan’s global punch to match Chinese economic might

Xi Jinping’s wish to turn the yuan into a global reserve currency, and thereby boost China’s economic influence, conflicts with the nation’s capital controls.

2 Feb 2026 - 5:00PM

Banking & finance

China’s yuan finds firmer footing in corporate fundraising efforts

Uses of yuan borrowing broaden to include working capital and capex, supported by Hong Kong’s liquidity boost, bankers say.

1 Feb 2026 - 5:00PM

Foreign-exchange trends, interest-rate shifts and supply-chain reshaping are all driving greater offshore yuan use, UOB banker says. Photo: Shutterstock

China manufacturing

China’s factory activity contracts in January on weak domestic demand

The official purchasing managers’ index drops to 49.3 in January, from 50.1 in December.

31 Jan 2026 - 1:07PM

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.

26 Jan 2026 - 6:23PM

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.

15 Jan 2026 - 6:53PM

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

Yuan

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.

13 Jan 2026 - 2:00PMvideocam

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

China inflation

China prices pick up, Venezuela raid fallout, Carney visit

This week: China inflation hits highest since February 2023, US abduction of Venezuela’s Maduro spurs criticism, Meta-Manus deal draws scrutiny. Next week: Canada’s Carney visits China, December trade figures come out, Jimmy Lai returns to court in Hong Kong and more.

9 Jan 2026 - 5:00PM

Banking & finance

China signals flexible use of monetary tools in 2026 to support 5-year plan

Boosting domestic demand, addressing debt risks and promoting yuan’s international use also priorities for coming year.

7 Jan 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

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