China Accelerates De-Dollarization Through BRICS Strategy and African Mineral Dominance
China's systematic dismantling of dollar hegemony gained momentum in June 2025 when Standard Bank enabled direct yuan settlements with China, slashing transaction times from days to seven seconds while reducing costs by 98%. This infrastructure bypasses SWIFT and answers the global question posed since 2022: how to operate outside Washington's financial sanctions.
The strategy hinges on controlling 21st-century energy supply chains. Through Belt and Road investments, Chinese mining contracts across Africa surged 400% year-over-year by mid-2025. Standard Bank's integration with China's Cross-Border Interbank Payment System (CIPS) now allows 21 African nations to settle commodity trades directly in yuan—no dollar intermediation required.