In the second trial of China’s digital yuan held by the Shenzhen government in January 2021, Zhou was selected to receive a digital red packet worth RMB$200 through a lottery, with an exclusive link leading her to download the eCNY app. Without needing a bank account, Zhou could choose a digital wallet from one of the six state-owned commercial banks on the app to store her eCNY. As part of the trial, she had to spend the digital currency at designated brick-and-mortar shops before the digital red packet expired.
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“I didn’t find it more convenient than the existing digital payment services such as Alipay, except the fact that I can pay without connecting to the internet,” Zhou said, “however, with the 5G network being commercialised, offline electronic payment is barely needed”. Officially called Digital Currency Electronic Payment (DCEP), or more commonly referred to the digital yuan or eCNY, China’s digital yuan is a form of central bank digital currency (CBDC) issued by the PBOC that will be distributed to the public by the six largest state-owned commercial banks in China. In May 2021, Zhejiang E-Commerce Bank (MYBank), an Alibaba-backed online lender, became the first private bank to join the eCNY tests.Īccording to the Atlantic Council’s CBDC tracker, most economies are still in the stage of exploring the use cases, impact, and feasibility of CBDC, while 19 countries initiated small-scale testing of CBDC with a limited number of participants. Out of which, China and Sweden are among the first major economies to pilot a digital currency. The PBOC has been working on its sovereign digital currency programme since 2014, and it was not until August 2020 when it launched pilot trials to a selected group of China Construction Bank account holders for retail payment in four cities including Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xiongan New Area, and Chengdu. In October 2020, the on-the-ground tests became public for the first time and were expanded to another six cities in China.Īlthough the official timetable of launching eCNY has not been released yet, it is expected that a wider launch to the public might take place at the 2022 Winter Olympics. At the Boao Forum this year, PBOC Deputy Governor Li Bo said China is trying to make eCNY available not only to domestic users, but also international users such as visitors at the Winter Olympics. Implications on Global TradeĬurrently, China’s digital currency is only used on a trial basis among a small group of users with a primary focus on domestic retail payment.
Oliver Wyman’s report said China could promote the overseas use of the digital yuan with a rollout in the Greater Bay Area. The eCNY can also be used among countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for payment, according to the report. “It’s clear that some international trade, perhaps, between the US and China, may not want to use eCNY. It should be seen as a digital ticket or entry token to China’s smart blockchain and AI-enabled logistics system,” But for countries participating in the BRI or the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the digital yuan may become a new standard as it can make the transaction easier, faster and cheaper,” said Richard Turrin, a fintech expert and the author of ‘Cashless: China’s Digital Currency Revolution’. “The digital yuan is not just a currency. It should be seen as a digital ticket or entry token to China’s smart blockchain and AI-enabled logistics system,” said Turrin.
It’s likely that using eCNY for cross-border trade will enable businesses to use China’s digital logistics networks to track the process from container loading to customs clearance, he added.Īccording to a PwC report about business implications of eCNY, China is expected to be the world’s first major economy that launches a digital currency, and the country can use the advantage to create a new global settlement system. Recent moves by the PBOC also show that China is mulling to accelerate rolling out cross-border payment with the digital yuan. Bloomberg reported that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority is in talks with China to expand cross-border testing of the digital yuan after a successful first phase. The HKMA said it conducted technical tests with the PBOC’s Digital Currency Institute, and they are making the corresponding preparations for the next phase of technical testing, including the feasibility of expanding the use of eCNY for cross-border payments.
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