文/ 河北师范大学历史文化学院副教授 朱安祥 货币如何产生的是一个众说纷纭的问题。"圣王创制论"曾一度成为古代世 界人们认识货币起源的主流观点。司马迁则运用了发展、变化的眼光去观 察古代货币的起源问题，而且在中国历史上首次破天荒地将货币的产生与 商品交换联系在一起，将货币的起源视为农工商交易之路通的自然结果。 货币是如何产生的？全世界有无数位贤哲思考过这个问题，当然所得出的结论也是五花八门。如果大家阅读过古代印度、埃及、希腊及拜占庭等古国的货 币史，就会发现"圣王创制论"曾一度成为古代世界人们认识货币起源的主流观点。所谓"圣王创制论"，就是指货币最初是由某一位圣王发明而来，古代中 国也有不少类似的言论。 从文献记载来看，我国最早阐述货币起源的人应属周景王时期的单旗。《国语·周语下》记有："景王二十一年，将铸大钱。单穆公曰：不可。古者，天灾 降戾，于是乎量资币，权轻重，以振救民。"此时景王要发行一种大面值货币，单旗表示反对，他的理由是：古时候，每当发生天灾之时，就会有英明的 君主计算、权衡物资与商品的数量，以此铸造货币，其根本目的是拯救黎民百姓。由此可见，单旗认为，货币是由某一位圣明的君主"发明"出来的；如果 ...

(本文来自第一财经) 12月12日，中国人民银行党委书记、行长潘功胜主持召开党委会议。会议指出，稳步推进金融高水平开 放，维护国家金融安全。践行全球治理倡议，积极参与和推进全球金融治理改革完善。务实开展金融外 交和多双边货币金融合作。推进人民币国际化。持续建设和发展多渠道、广覆盖的人民币跨境支付体 系。稳步发展数字人民币。 ...

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the accelerated development and application of digital currencies globally, particularly focusing on the importance of establishing a self-controlled cross-border payment system for the Renminbi (RMB) to enhance financial security and support the internationalization of the RMB [2][4]. Summary by Sections Global Digital Currency Landscape - The global development and application of digital currencies have entered a fast track, with major economies accelerating their Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) layouts [4]. - The evolving international geopolitical landscape has made financial infrastructure security a crucial component of national security [4]. RMB Internationalization and Cross-Border Payment System - The 20th National Congress report of the Communist Party of China calls for the orderly promotion of RMB internationalization, while the 14th Five-Year Plan suggests enhancing capital account openness and building a self-controlled cross-border payment system for the RMB [4]. - A multi-channel and widely covered RMB cross-border payment system has been largely established, highlighting its strategic significance for financial security and international financial discourse [4]. Challenges in Cross-Border Payments - Cross-border payments face challenges such as high costs, low efficiency, lack of transparency, and limited access, primarily due to long payment chains, high compliance costs, and insufficient trust among entities [4]. - Ongoing geopolitical tensions further increase uncertainties in cross-border payments [4]. Strategic Importance of Self-Controlled Payment Systems - Establishing a self-controlled RMB cross-border payment system is crucial for ensuring financial security, supporting RMB internationalization, and enhancing international financial influence [4]. - In the context of global payment systems facing geopolitical risks, a self-controlled RMB cross-border payment system can inject new vitality into RMB internationalization [4]. Call for Contributions - The editorial team of Tsinghua Financial Review has initiated a call for papers to explore the strategic positioning, technological pathways, and institutional arrangements of digital RMB in the cross-border payment system [5]. - The aim is to provide forward-looking insights and policy recommendations for the stable and long-term internationalization of the RMB and participation in global financial governance reform [5]. Submission Guidelines - The submission should be original and unpublished, with a suggested word count of 4,000 to 6,000 words, including charts and graphs [8]. - The deadline for submission is December 15, 2025, with specific formatting and content requirements outlined [10].

Core Viewpoint - The "15th Five-Year Plan" emphasizes the importance of expanding domestic demand and building a strong domestic market, while also promoting international circulation and sharing opportunities with the world [1][3]. Group 1: Domestic Market and Demand - The plan highlights the strategic importance of expanding domestic demand, leveraging China's large population of over 1.4 billion and more than 400 million middle-income groups, which contribute nearly 50 trillion RMB in consumption and over 20 trillion RMB in imports annually [1]. - The "15th Five-Year Plan" aims to further enlarge China's super-large market, promoting a strong domestic circulation [1]. Group 2: International Trade and Investment - The plan advocates for a balanced development of trade and investment, focusing on market diversification and the integration of domestic and foreign trade [3]. - It proposes to enhance bilateral investment cooperation, attract foreign investment, and promote orderly cross-border layout of industrial and supply chains [3]. - The plan also emphasizes the internationalization of the RMB and the establishment of a self-controlled cross-border payment system, reflecting a proactive approach compared to previous plans [3]. Group 3: Service Trade Development - Service trade is identified as a key area for development, with a focus on expanding market access and encouraging service exports [2]. - The plan aims to improve the management of cross-border service trade and enhance the standardization of service trade [2]. - China's service industry is currently lagging behind in comparison to its global trade and manufacturing sectors, but recent efforts are being made to relax restrictions in telecommunications, internet, education, culture, and healthcare [2]. Group 4: Global Economic Engagement - China is adopting a more confident approach to opening its market, providing development opportunities for other countries while also increasing outbound investments [4]. - The country aims to share its market and technological advantages with the world, promoting a fair and cooperative international economic order [5].

Core Viewpoint - The article discusses the release of the "Suggestions on Formulating the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic and Social Development" by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, emphasizing the importance of expanding autonomous openness and aligning with international high-standard economic and trade rules [1] Group 1: Economic Policy Initiatives - The plan aims to actively expand autonomous openness, focusing on market access and open fields in the service sector [1] - It highlights the acceleration of regional and bilateral trade investment agreements and the expansion of high-standard free trade zone networks [1] - The strategy includes optimizing regional openness layout and creating diverse highland forms of openness [1] Group 2: Trade and Investment Strategies - The implementation of a free trade pilot zone enhancement strategy and the high-standard construction of Hainan Free Trade Port are key components [1] - There is a focus on the coordinated development of major open cooperation platforms in innovation, service trade, and industrial development [1] Group 3: Financial and Economic Governance - The plan promotes the internationalization of the Renminbi and aims to enhance the openness level of capital projects [1] - It includes the establishment of a self-controlled cross-border payment system for the Renminbi [1] - The initiative also seeks to reform global economic and financial governance, advocating for a fair, just, open, inclusive, and cooperative international economic order [1]

Group 1: Cybersecurity Incident - The National Security Agency (NSA) of the United States has conducted significant cyberattacks on China's National Time Service Center from August 2023 to June 2024, deploying 42 specialized cyber weapons to penetrate multiple internal network systems [4][5][6] - The attacks aim to infiltrate high-precision ground timing systems, which are critical for various sectors including power supply and financial markets [4][6] - The National Time Service Center plays a vital role in maintaining national standard time, which is essential for the precise operation of modern society and scientific research [5][6] Group 2: Economic Developments - The People's Bank of China is advancing the construction of a cross-border payment system for the Renminbi, establishing a multi-channel, widely covered, secure, and efficient payment clearing network [6] - The network includes the expansion of CIPS and UnionPay, and cooperation with multiple countries on the digital Renminbi platform, enhancing the efficiency of remittances and facilitating financial transactions [6] Group 3: Urban Development - The Changchun Metropolitan Area Development Plan has been officially approved, marking Changchun as a new "national-level metropolitan area" in Northeast China, following Shenyang [10] - The metropolitan area is expected to cover approximately 29,700 square kilometers with a population of about 12.1 million, significantly contributing to the region's economic growth [10]

Core Insights - The payment system is a crucial financial infrastructure that supports consumer spending and economic stability in China. The system has seen significant advancements in recent years, providing secure, efficient, and convenient payment services that bolster the real economy [1] Group 1: Development Achievements - During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, the People's Bank of China has made substantial progress in building a modern payment system that ranks among the world's best. The payment system's business volume has grown at an average annual rate of 12.52%, with a total business volume expected to exceed 12 trillion yuan in 2024. Mobile payment transactions are projected to reach 1.71 times the volume of 2020 [2] - The average payment service fee is below 0.6%, significantly lower than that in Europe and the United States [2] Group 2: Market Structure - The payment market has evolved into a diverse and collaborative ecosystem, with the People's Bank of China optimizing the roles of clearing institutions, commercial banks, payment institutions, and industry associations to provide a wide range of payment services [3] - The China Payment and Clearing Association plays a self-regulatory role, ensuring fair competition and promoting high-quality development in the payment clearing industry [3] Group 3: Regulatory Framework - The payment industry is entering a new phase characterized by compliance and sustainable development. A comprehensive regulatory framework has been established, including the introduction of the first specialized regulation for non-bank payment institutions, marking a new stage in the industry's development [4] - The People's Bank of China has adopted a "zero tolerance" approach to illegal activities in the payment sector, focusing on risk prevention across the entire payment process [4] Group 4: Service Accessibility - The payment services have become more secure, convenient, and inclusive, with a diverse range of payment methods available to meet the public's needs. Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, non-cash payment transactions have reached 23 trillion, representing a 2.34-fold increase in volume compared to the previous five years [5] - The rapid adoption of mobile payment services has transformed various transaction scenarios, bridging the digital divide for the elderly and enhancing payment services in rural areas [5] Group 5: Cross-Border Payment Progress - The People's Bank of China is actively promoting the construction of a self-controlled cross-border payment system, with the Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) processing 175 trillion yuan in cross-border RMB transactions in 2024, a 43% increase year-on-year [6][7] - The establishment of a cross-border payment platform for digital currencies has been initiated in collaboration with central banks from Hong Kong, Thailand, and the UAE [7] Group 6: Enhancing Foreign Payment Services - The People's Bank of China has implemented measures to improve payment services for foreign nationals in China, including allowing the use of foreign mobile numbers to register for domestic payment apps and enhancing payment guides at key locations [8] - As a result, the number of active mobile payment users among inbound travelers exceeded 10 million in the first half of 2025, with transaction volumes and amounts increasing by 162% and 149%, respectively [8]