Foreign Exchange Receipts and Payments Data for the First Half of 2026 — Press Conference Transcript
Published: August 7, 2026
Sources & Verification
Primary Source
State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) — Official document ↗
CPG Analysis
AI-assisted summary of the official source linked above, pending human review.
Verification
AI-assisted summary · generated Sep 8, 2026 · pending human review
This summary was generated by AI from the linked official source. It has not been reviewed line-by-line by a human editor.
⚠ This is a policy signal, not a confirmed rule.
No immediate compliance change has been identified. Monitor for official implementation documents.
⚡ Impact at a Glance
Who is affected
Banking and financial services; cross-border trade; high-tech manufacturing and services; green/new-energy finance
Cities / Agencies
Nationwide · State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE)
What to do now
Monitor only — no action required
Source & verification
SAFE · AI-assisted summary · generated Sep 8, 2026 · pending human review
What to watch next
SAFE: formal implementation rules for the 2026 cross-border investment and financing facilitation package (direct investment forex procedures, nationwide green external debt pilot, bank delegation of capital account registration); SAFE: monthly and H2 2026 foreign exchange settlement and balance of payments statistics releases
Executive Summary
China's foreign exchange regulator released first-half 2026 data showing record cross-border receipts and payments of US$9.2 trillion and generally stable market conditions despite global volatility. Officials also previewed a new package of cross-border investment and financing facilitation measures — including simpler foreign-exchange procedures for foreign-invested enterprises, easier outbound capital remittances, and a nationwide green external debt pilot — but stressed these rules will take effect only after formal regulatory procedures are completed. The briefing signals continued opening of China's capital account but creates no immediate compliance obligation.
Key Points
Total cross-border receipts and payments by China's non-banking sectors reached US$9.2 trillion in H1 2026, up 21% year-on-year and an all-time record; the RMB's share of cross-border settlements rose to 52.9%.
Non-banking sectors recorded a net cross-border capital inflow of US$247.2 billion in H1 2026; banks posted a US$271.2 billion surplus in foreign exchange settlement and sales, and official reserves rose to US$3.4163 trillion.
Inbound foreign investment rebounded — net inflows reached roughly US$160 billion in the first five months of 2026, with equity direct investment net inflows exceeding US$50 billion and inflows into high-tech services and manufacturing up 61% year-on-year.
SAFE plans to simplify foreign exchange purchase procedures for foreign-invested enterprises and streamline review procedures for outbound capital remittances by Chinese enterprises to facilitate direct investment.
SAFE will expand cross-border financing facilitation to more eligible entities, launch a nationwide green external debt pilot, and optimize macro-prudential management rules for corporate cross-border financing.
More capital account registration procedures will be delegated to banks and moved online to digitalize foreign exchange administration; these measures will be formally issued and implemented only after regulatory procedures are completed.