China Construction Bank Corporation delivered a comprehensive showcase at the 26th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT), held in Xiamen from September 8 to 11, highlighting its latest achievements in streamlining cross-border payments and bolstering high-level economic openness.
A key highlight was the bank's active involvement in the second CIPS Cross-Border Bank-Enterprise Cooperation Session, which ran parallel to the main fair. The session focused on emerging trends in RMB cross-border settlement and provided a platform for deep dialogue among CIPS participants worldwide and multinational corporations. During the opening ceremony, CCB unveiled a joint research initiative on China-UK over-the-counter bonds with partners including HSBC, and was among the first institutions invited to pilot CIPS cross-border guarantee services. The bank also showcased its progress in promoting RMB internationalization and building cross-border bond connectivity.
At the event, CCB engaged in constructive talks with several overseas financial institutions, including FirstRand Bank of South Africa, First Bank of Nigeria, Santander, and the National Bank of Georgia, resulting in multiple cooperation agreements. Seven of the bank's offshore entities, such as its clearing branches in Chile and Switzerland, participated in a seminar titled "Banking for Global Expansion: Cross-Border Financial Support for Enterprises," educating attendees on clearing services and RMB-denominated specialty products. Additionally, branches in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Xiamen joined provincial-level meetings to further encourage broader adoption of RMB in cross-border transactions.
As a longstanding partner of CIPS, CCB erected a themed exhibition booth to display its efforts in expanding the use of RMB internationally, strengthening offshore RMB capabilities, and enhancing payment convenience for businesses. To date, the bank's RMB clearing and agency network spans over 40 countries and regions, with 18 overseas institutions approved as direct CIPS participants, contributing substantially to the global advancement of RMB.
In the digital currency arena, CCB took part in a dedicated cross-border roadshow organized by the Digital Currency Institute, themed "Digital RMB Drives Global Trade." Through interactive sessions and case presentations, the bank introduced digital RMB cross-border services tailored for Taiwanese compatriots and international visitors to China. It also demonstrated solutions for trade and capital account scenarios, including a multilateral central bank digital currency bridge that enables near-instant settlement for cross-border traders and leading tech firms, as well as integrated services combining merger and acquisition financing with bridge payments, sparking fruitful discussions on future collaboration.
On September 9, a major side event of the fair, the launch of the Xiamen Digital Trade Platform for commercial use and innovation in cross-border digital RMB settlement, received support from CCB. Looking ahead, the bank plans to intensify its focus on cross-border finance and digital currency, refining its product and service frameworks to better facilitate both inbound and outbound investment, and injecting fresh momentum into high-quality economic development and a more open global economy.