Preference for cash over digital yuan leads to its disposal


As Chinese government employees, particularly those working in state-owned enterprises and governmental organizations, embrace receiving their salaries in digital yuan, differing opinions on the currency’s adoption surface, despite Beijing’s promotional endeavors.

During an interview with the South China Morning Post, Sammy Lin, an account manager at a state-owned bank in Suzhou, shared that while she receives her salary in digital yuan via the e-CNY app, she, along with many others, opts against keeping her funds in the app due to worries about the lack of interest and restricted functionality.

“I prefer not to keep the money in the e-CNY app, because there’s no interest if I leave it there.” – Sammy Lin

The report highlights concerns regarding the traceable nature of the digital yuan, raising worries about the exposure of personal financial data. Consequently, some individuals opt to convert the digital currency into cash.

In response to these concerns, Ye Dongyan, a researcher at the Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business in Beijing, suggested that Beijing must strike a careful balance between privacy and security when promoting the digital yuan.

“Paper currency is used anonymously, but the digital yuan is different. The boundaries between information tracking and information security protection need more deliberation.” – Ye Dongyan

While the currency provides manageable anonymity for smaller transactions, larger transactions necessitate identification to deter illicit activities such as money laundering.

Even with government assurances regarding the robustness of privacy protection, skepticism persists among some. Albert Wang, a municipal government employee in Suzhou, highlights the digital yuan’s constraints compared to established online payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay. He mentions that his wife opts to withdraw the digital yuan upon receiving it since she cannot deposit the funds or purchase financial products using the e-CNY wallet.

China’s digital yuan has emerged as a leader in the realm of central bank digital currencies, particularly among major economies. With a transaction volume reaching 1.8 trillion yuan (roughly $250 billion), its adoption and advancement appear to be inspiring other economies to join the digitalization race.

Up until now, global banking institutions have maintained minimal engagement within the digital yuan ecosystem, but Beijing appears committed to a gradual expansion. In 2023, French bank BNP Paribas initiated the integration of the digital yuan into its services, facilitating the connection of corporate clients’ wallets to their bank accounts. Subsequently, multinational banking behemoth Standard Chartered followed suit by introducing exchange services for the digital yuan.


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