The People's Bank of China, the central bank, announced on March 2 that it would further expand trial yuan settlements in cross-border trade this year.

The market demand for yuan cross-border use is expected to climb, along with the increasingly close integration between China and the global economy.

China expanded the pilot program for yuan settlement in cross-border trade to 20 provincial regions last year.

The program was also expanded to about 67,000 exporters at the end of 2010, from the original 365.

China's banks handled 506.3 billion yuan ($77.06 billion) of cross-border trade settlements last year.