The offshore yuan weakened to around 6.78 per dollar on Friday, putting the currency on track for a weekly loss as a resilient US dollar capitalized on intensifying rate-hike bets. While the Federal Reserve recently left interest rates unchanged as widely anticipated, roughly half of the FOMC policymakers now project at least one additional rate hike by the end of 2026. On the domestic front, traders are closely watching next week’s fixing of the one- and five-year Loan Prime Rates (LPR). The upcoming policy decision carries extra weight following a string of recent data underscoring China’s uneven economic growth. Meanwhile, Hong Kong is set to debut its highly anticipated offshore yuan bond futures this August. The milestone launch represents a strategic push by Beijing to cement the city’s status as a premier global offshore yuan hub while accelerating the broader internationalization of the currency.
