China has quietly taken a bold step in its bid to expand the global footprint of its digital currency.

On Thursday, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) inaugurated an international operations centre for its central bank digital currency, the digital yuan (e-CNY) in Shanghai, according to a report from the South China Morning Post.

PBOC Deputy Governor, Lu Lei, framed the move as part of a “historical inevitability” in payments innovation, with the aim of offering a more efficient, inclusive, and open global cross-border payment system.

The initiative is intended to enhance settlement efficiency, and serve as building blocks toward a broader framework for e-CNY integration.

China’s CBDC push comes in the wake of the country pulling the brakes on tokenization efforts. Earlier this week, China’s securities regulator warned some brokerages to pause their real-world asset (RWA) tokenization businesses in Hong Kong.

Read more: China Pumps the Brakes on RWA Businesses in Hong Kong: Reuters