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ECB president hails steady, solid cooperation with China's central bank

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ECB president hails steady, solid cooperation with China's central bank

2026-01-21 22:22 Last Updated At:01-22 00:37

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde Wednesday lauded strong cooperation between the European Union's central bank and the People's Bank of China (PBOC), highlighting joint work on digital currencies and climate finance as key examples of a fruitful partnership.

In an exclusive interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos, the ECB chief pointed to China's early lead in developing a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as a catalyst for significant technical exchange.

"There has been a steady and solid, good cooperation between the ECB and the PBOC and it has been productive, fruitful," she said.

Beyond digital currencies, collaboration extends to the critical area of sustainable finance. Lagarde said that cooperation on climate-related financial taxonomy and disclosure rules has been "very close."

"When it comes to taxonomy and climate change, we have also cooperated very closely and I know that the disclosure mechanisms for instance is very much a mirror of what we have adopted over here in Europe. So the cooperation is strong. As you know we have a swap line between us and we continue to exchange views, compare notes, talk about development and it's a good relationship," she said.

Under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue," the five-day WEF event opened Monday, drawing nearly 3,000 leaders and experts from around the world to discuss five pressing global challenges, including enhancing cooperation, unlocking new sources of growth and deploying innovation at scale and responsibly.

ECB president hails steady, solid cooperation with China's central bank

ECB president hails steady, solid cooperation with China's central bank

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde sees more solid foundations of the global economy in 2026 than anticipated, expressing her confidence on the economic outlook of the year.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) on the sidelines of the 2026 World Economic Forum (WEF), Lagarde shared her views on global macroeconomic outlook, monetary policy direction, financial stability and the role of international cooperation amid growing uncertainty.

When asked about the expectations on the 2026 global economy, Lagarde said, "I think we are entering 2026 with more solid foundations than we had anticipated back in 2025. If I look at numbers, growth is higher than we had anticipated. The number of people employed is higher. The number of people unemployed is lower. Monetary policy for which I am responsible is in a good place. We have our target of two-percent medium term spot on, and inflation has been defeated. I'm saying that the foundations are much more solid than we had anticipated". Under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue," the 2026 WEF meeting opened on Monday in the Swiss Alpine town of Davos and will run through Friday. About 3,000 leaders and experts worldwide are gathering to discuss five pressing global challenges, including enhancing cooperation, unlocking new sources of growth and deploying innovation at scale and responsibly.

Foundation of 2026 global economy more solid than anticipated: ECB chief

Foundation of 2026 global economy more solid than anticipated: ECB chief

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