The National Bank of Georgia (NBG) plans to gradually increase the share of Chinese yuan in the country’s international reserves from 5% to around 15%, NBG President Natia Turnava told BMG. The move is aimed at diversifying reserves and strengthening their resilience to external shocks.
As of October 2026, Georgia’s international reserves stood at $8.17 billion, meaning a 15% allocation would be equivalent to approximately $1.23 billion. Turnava noted that the total volume of reserves fluctuates, so the final amount invested in yuan will depend on the overall balance.
The dollar remains the dominant reserve currency, reflecting the structure of Georgia’s external debt. However, the NBG has expanded diversification by purchasing monetary gold and adding other currencies, including the yuan. Turnava said Asian markets, particularly China’s capital market, can follow different trends from Western markets, helping the overall portfolio withstand market shocks.
The NBG is also expanding access to Chinese financial markets. In February 2026, it announced access to the China Interbank Bond Market (CIBM), following cooperation established under a memorandum signed with the People’s Bank of China the previous year. The central bank expects investments in Chinese securities to diversify reserves across currencies, asset classes and geographical regions.
