Trade war, global instability push de-dollarisation into China’s academic mainstream

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 2 min read 100% complete by Sylvia MaFebruary 2, 2026 at 01:00 AM

AI Summary

short article 2 min

De-dollarisation is gaining traction in China's academic and policy spheres due to concerns about the U.S. potentially weaponizing the dollar. Research on the topic has surged, particularly after 2022, with a doubling of papers published between 2023 and 2025 compared to the previous three years. This interest intensified following global economic instability stemming from U.S. trade actions and geopolitical moves starting in 2025. Chinese scholars are advocating for reduced reliance on U.S. dollar assets, especially after the freezing of Russian foreign exchange reserves in 2022. In response, China has been reducing its U.S. Treasury holdings, strengthening ties with emerging markets, promoting yuan internationalization, increasing gold reserves, and developing digital currency initiatives.

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Greenland 30% Venezuela 40% European Union 40% South China Morning Post 40% Nicolás Maduro 50% Washington ×250% China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) ×260% Russia 60% Donald Trump ×270% China ×490% United States ×490%

Keywords

de-dollarisation 100% us dollar 80% china 70% trade war 60% global instability 60% yuan internationalisation 50% economic uncertainty 50% foreign exchange reserves 40% us treasuries 40%