According to local news outlet JS China, on Feb. 1, an annual meeting regarding the trial of the digital yuan central bank digital currency (e-CNY CBDC) was attended by senior Communist Party officials in the City of Suzhou. As part of the meeting outcomes, party officials have set a tentative key performance indicator (KPI) of 2 trillion CNY ($300 billion) for e-CNY CBDC transactions in the city by the end of 2023 to be implemented by municipal administrators through promotional efforts.
Officials have also set a target of processing $30 billion in e-CNY loans for small and mid-sized businesses in Suzhou by the end of the year. In 2022, e-CNY transactions in the city surpassed 340 billion CNY ($50.5 billion) at 930,000 local businesses and government offices, with over 30.54 million digital wallet downloads. Total financial incentives related to the e-CNY amounted to 40 billion CNY ($5.9 billion), while 18.7 billion ($2.78 billion) in e-CNY loans were issued.