China’s central bank has made the digital yuan a formal priority for the next five years, saying it will “steadily develop” the e-CNY under its 15th Five-Year reform plan for 2026-2030.

The People’s Bank of China included the digital currency among its core tasks for improving financial infrastructure and central bank services. The plan links e-CNY development with stronger payment systems, support for the credit-reporting industry, and tighter anti-money-laundering rules.

Digital yuan elevated in the new policy blueprint

The reform plan places the digital yuan inside a broader agenda for upgrading the country’s financial architecture. By naming the project as a core task, the PBOC is signaling that e-CNY development will remain part of its institutional priorities through the 2026-2030 period.

According to the outline, the central bank sees the digital yuan as connected to practical parts of the financial system rather than as a standalone experiment. The document ties it to payments infrastructure, central bank service improvements, credit reporting, and anti-money-laundering oversight.

Broader RMB goals run alongside the e-CNY push

The five-year plan does not focus only on domestic digital payments. It also stresses wider use of the renminbi in trade and investment, along with the construction of a cross-border payment network.

In the same framework, the PBOC said it wants to develop offshore RMB markets, strengthen Shanghai’s role as an international financial center, and enhance Hong Kong’s status. That suggests the digital yuan initiative sits alongside a wider effort to expand the currency’s reach and improve the financial system that supports it.

Project builds on years of development

China’s digital yuan effort did not begin with this latest plan. The PBOC started research on the project in 2014, and the digital yuan was launched in 2022.

The central bank has also already adjusted some features around the currency’s use. It previously began allowing commercial banks to pay interest on e-CNY balances, marking another step in integrating the digital currency more closely with mainstream banking activity.

Cross-border testing remains an active track

Beyond domestic rollout, the PBOC is continuing to explore international use cases for the digital yuan. Cross-border trials are already under way, reflecting an effort to broaden adoption outside mainland China.

Those efforts include work tied to mBridge as well as collaborations with Singapore. Based on the new five-year plan, the next confirmed step is continued, gradual development of the e-CNY as part of a larger push to upgrade payments, expand RMB use, and strengthen cross-border financial links.

Source: Cryptopolitan