China and the UAE have formally activated a direct cross-border payment link, interconnecting their national fast payment systems and activating the JISR multilateral digital currency bridge.
The initiative was finalized in Abu Dhabi following meetings between PBoC governor Pan Gongsheng, UAE Deputy President Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and UAE central bank governor Khaled Mohamed Balama.
The partnership creates a regulatory and technical channel for real-time settlements between Emirati and Chinese banks, bypassing legacy correspondent banking networks.
Key Features:
- Interlinked Systems: Direct connection between national fast payment rails for instant corporate and retail remittances.
- JISR Project: The official launch of the UAE’s multilateral digital currency bridge node.
- Retail Integration: The first transaction using a dual-branded UnionPay–Jaywan card, enabling seamless spending for travellers.
Deepening financial ties
The move reinforces the UAE’s ambition to position Abu Dhabi as a global centre for CBDC and tokenised payment infrastructure. The UAE is already a key collaborator in mBridge, the cross-border CBDC platform used for live payments to China.
The new link deepens that cooperation, providing a dedicated rail for trade flows across energy, logistics and technology: sectors where China remains the UAE's largest partner.
Shifting geopolitical landscape
The launch aligns with a broader realignment in global payments, as emerging markets promote alternative rails to reduce reliance on Western intermediaries and the SWIFT network.
While the UAE has established itself as a hub for private stablecoin pilots and crypto infrastructure, this state-level partnership adds significant strategic weight. It formalizes a digital settlement framework capable of supporting large-scale regional trade without routing through the US dollar system.
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