China's Central Bank Launches Digital Yuan Trade Settlement Service

The People's Bank of China has launched a cross-border trade settlement and investment finance service called 'Suyuda·Lifu' based on the digital yuan. On the 18th, the central bank announced that Suyuda·Lifu connects trade, shipping, cargo, and investment finance procedures through the digital yuan-based cross-border payment platform 'Suyuda' (CBETS). The system manages information, data, and documents via a unified ledger. The central bank explained that it applies digital yuan smart contracts and AI agents to service operations. Smart contracts execute financial and settlement processes according to predefined rules, while AI agents support verification of trade document authenticity and pre-emptive risk checks.