this seems to be turning into a trend:
1. put pressure on bitcoin adoption but not ban it
Venezuela did it with their taxes and prevention of mining equipment imports, India is doing it, China has been doing it, Iran has been doing it,...
2. start up your own cryptocurrency
all these countries have been doing it publicly or silently. China seems to be in this step.
3. sell it to the masses
Venezuela already released theirs.
4. profit?
Haha. I agree. Looks like a lot of countries like the ones you mentioned are going through the process of pressuring blockchain technology, and bitcoin due to its decentralization aspect - then they use the same blockchain technology to make their own crypto coin and then make it their own, easily controllable, national cryptocurrency. Could see an Indian and Iranian based crypto coming in the future.
China is really monitoring the cryptocurrency development around the world very closely. When CZ mentioned that china is on the process of developing their own digital currency based on Yuan and that it could even be launched ahead of Libra, the thing that immediately came off on top of my head was that china always wants not only to be in the race but also win it. Libra is certainly one of those reasons why china is pushed to pursue its own digital renminbi.
China is very much aware that the digital age is coming into the realm of currencies and given its vivid hunger for world domination it always wants to be at the center stage.
China's digital advancement over the years has been insane. They've dominated a lot of the markets, electronics, payment processors and are now chasing the next big thing - centralized cryptocurrencies, issued by the government.
Bullish sign ?
This is a bullish signal for some of us that has been witnessed market reactions from that part of the world! Chinese’s traders will see this as good news and re-enter the market again after the government and the people bank of China authorities has been fighting cryptocurrency and digital currency! I can see bitcoin reacting to this already as the last four hours candlestick is green and the longest since three weeks ago.
Very much so. China is investing in cryptocurrency technology is one of the best things an asian investor can hear.