The RCEP and the misleading of yuan
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) reflects the polarisation of world trade that accelerated with the trade war between the United States and China. It reinforces Asian regional integration and offers China the opportunity to increase the influence of the Renminbi (RMB). Since 2009, China has developed a monetary strategy that promotes its currency as a medium of international exchange.
According to Swift, in October 2020, Chinese money accounted for a meagre 1.66% of transactions as a global currency. We have seen that the opportunity for the influence of the renminbi in Asia and in the world economy has grown, and the open question is why it is not yet a major currency.
China's participation in global trade and investment builds confidence in the WBN, particularly in parts of Asia and Africa. However, even China uses the dollar in business and holds a high proportion of dollar assets, so it is unlikely to replace the dollar as the world currency in the short term.