阿联酋大笔一挥，向中国转了5000万迪拉姆，或将撼动美元霸权根基

Core Insights - The financial cooperation between the UAE and China has become increasingly close, highlighted by a digital currency transfer of 50 million dirhams (approximately 13.6 million USD) on January 29, 2024, using the mBridge platform, a multi-central bank digital currency bridge system [1][3] Group 1: Digital Currency Transfer - The transfer was personally executed by the UAE Vice President and Central Bank Chairman, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, using their digital dirham, which was sent directly to a Chinese bank account, bypassing traditional banking channels [3] - This transfer follows a previously signed currency swap agreement worth 35 billion RMB between the central banks of China and the UAE, aimed at facilitating trade in local currencies [3] Group 2: mBridge Platform Development - The mBridge platform, based on distributed ledger technology, ensures secure and transparent transactions, allowing real-time visibility of fund flows for all participants [3][4] - By 2024, the platform entered its minimum viable product phase, with the International Bank for Settlements transferring management to participating central banks, marking its independent operation [4] Group 3: Trade and Currency Trends - In 2024, the total cross-border RMB payment volume reached 64.1 trillion RMB, a 23% year-on-year increase, with a notable rise in the proportion of RMB settlements in trade with the UAE [4] - The bilateral trade volume between China and the UAE exceeded 100 billion USD in 2024, with a significant increase in RMB settlements over the past five years [4][10] Group 4: Impact on Global Currency Dynamics - The emergence of platforms like mBridge is seen as a challenge to the dominance of the US dollar, particularly in oil trade, as it allows for direct central bank digital currency exchanges without the need for the dollar as an intermediary [6][8] - The dollar's global payment share is projected to remain above 47% by 2025, but it faces increasing pressure from the rise of digital currencies and alternative payment systems [6][10] Group 5: Future Prospects - The UAE plans to launch a retail version of its central bank digital currency in 2025, further promoting the use of digital dirham in everyday transactions [6] - The trend towards de-dollarization is gaining momentum, with more countries showing interest in using digital currencies for cross-border transactions, potentially diluting the dollar's share in global trade [10]