Guests celebrate the launch of Stanbic Bank Tanzania's direct RMB settlement service in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Aug. 12, 2026. (Xinhua/Nurdin Pallangyo)

　　* As China-Africa trade continues to expand, the RMB is being used not only for trade settlement, but increasingly for payment and clearing and, more recently, for financing.

　　* Deepening economic ties between China and Africa are providing stronger support for the wider use of the RMB in cross-border transactions.

　　* The continued development of payment infrastructure is an important factor in expanding the cross-border use of the RMB in Africa.

　　* The expansion from trade settlement to bond financing shows that the RMB is taking on a broader role in international economic activities.

　　by Xinhua writers Xu Jiatong, Wang Yue

　　NAIROBI, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- China's currency, the renminbi (RMB), is playing a bigger role in Africa as trade with the continent flourishes. From the launch of direct RMB settlement services in Tanzania to expanded connectivity with the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) in Kenya and Namibia, as well as the establishment of RMB clearing arrangements for Africa, such recent developments highlight the growing role of the Chinese currency in cross-border transactions.

　　As China-Africa trade continues to expand, the RMB is being used not only for trade settlement, but increasingly for payment and clearing and, more recently, for financing. This expansion is driven by growing demand from China-Africa trade and investment, while an improved financial infrastructure is making cross-border RMB transactions more accessible.

　　CROSS-BORDER RMB