London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Sep 11, 2025

China warned not to rush into creating digital currency to rival Facebook’s Libra, instead join global debate

China warned not to rush into creating digital currency to rival Facebook’s Libra, instead join global debate

China has fast tracked development of its sovereign digital currency, but a former central bank deputy governor has urged China to think about its response. Central banks from Canada, Britain, Japan, and Sweden, as well as the European Central Bank, this week joined forces to look at ‘cases for central bank digital currency’

A new theory appears to be emerging in China with regards how it should cope with the potential challenges from Facebook’s blockchain digital currency Libra, with suggestions it should shift towards working with other nations to regulate the sector rather than fast-track its own alternative medium of exchange.

Debate continues over whether and how China’s central banks should issue its own digital currency, with concerns mounting that popularity of Libra may further enhance the dominant role of US dollar in the digital era.

China’s yuan is not expected to be included in the underlying assets of Libra, while the People’s Bank of China has cracked down on cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, and has also seemingly made progress in developing a sovereign digital currency.

But Zhu Min, a former deputy governor at the People’s Bank of China, has urged China to further consider its response to Libra, which is backed by a group of hard currency assets and is expected to be launched this summer.

“I think it’s critically important to join the discussions and take part in coordinated global regulation of Libra,” Zhu was quoted as saying by Sina.com.

Zhu added that the central bank’s digital currency research scheme, officially known as Digital Currency Electronic Payment, is a “natural process”, suggesting that there is no schedule for the launch of China’s sovereign digital currency.

And Zhu is not alone in calling for a global regulatory framework covering digital currency that could involve China.

Ba Shusong, a former researcher at China’s State Council Development Research Centre, who currently serves as chief China economist for the Hong Kong stock exchange, said that a framework overseen by a multilateral institution is needed to monitor digital currencies such as Libra as they have the potential to reshape the global financial system and challenge existing national monetary authorities.



Many issues surround digital currencies because their usage is not limited to any single country, Ba told a seminar at the Asian Financial Forum in Hong Kong in January.

Ba warned, that with different countries at various stages of their economic and policy cycles, the rise of digital currencies could create tensions among central banks and regulators as digital currencies can make it difficult for central banks to manage their foreign exchange controls.

“You would need to first improve the regulatory framework for [financial] technology,” Ba added. “There is a need for global cooperation for an alternative regulatory framework.”

Ba said that Facebook’s Libra raised questions about how a project of its size should be regulated to guard against its potential use for illicit means including money laundering.

This week, Vodafone became the latest company to leave Facebook's digital currency project after backers including PayPal and Mastercard also left The Libra Association amid regulatory scrutiny from around the world.

“We will continue to monitor the development of the Libra Association and do not rule out the possibility of future cooperation,” a Vodafone spokesman said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the Bank of International Settlements announced that that it had created a group involving the central banks of Canada, Britain, Japan, and Sweden as well as the European Central Bank to “share experiences as they assess the potential cases for central bank digital currency”.

Hiromi Yamaoka, former head of the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) division overseeing payment and settlement systems, said the decision was a sign of how Libra has triggered global competition among central banks to make their currencies more appealing.

“The latest decision [by the six central banks] is not just about sharing information. It’s also an effort to keep something like Libra in check,” said Yamaoka who, during his time at the BOJ, was directly in charge of negotiations on new technology.

“Something like Libra would make transactions costs much cheaper. Major central banks need to appeal that they, too, are making efforts to make settlement more efficient with better use of digital technology.”

Cheney Tsoi, president of the Asia Blockchain Society, argued that bitcoin, the most widely used cryptocurrency, is successful because of its “decentralised” nature.

The blockchain technology that underlies all cryptocurrencies allows individual holders of the currency to control its increase and distribution, with no central authority overseeing the process.



But for other less successful digital currencies, their recognition could be greatly enhanced if central banks were to introduce their own government backed and controlled digital currencies.

“Innovation starts with the private sector, but for big scale use, it will need government support. The introduction of digital currencies by central banks may bring about new usage. We see a good trend,” Tsoi said.

Zhu Jiang, general manager at Kingsoft Cloud, said that at the moment, the physical world and virtual world were in the process of converging.

Zhu added that digital assets could be instrumental tools in the future, but said they still need the backing of government policies.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Florida Murder Case: The Adelson Family, the Killing of Dan Markel, and the Trial of Donna Adelson
×