A branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. [Photo/Xinhua]

BEIJING - The People's Bank of China (PBOC) announced Friday that it has authorized the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) Moscow office to offer renminbi clearing services in Russia.

Chinese and Russian central banks signed a memorandum in June on the establishment of a RMB clearing mechanism in Russia to "facilitate the cross-border use of yuan by enterprises and financial institutions from both countries."

Amid close economic ties between the two neighbors, the Russian central bank included RMB in its foreign exchange reserves at the end of 2015.

ICBC is the largest lender in China, and its Moscow branch is the biggest Chinese bank in Russia.

China-Russia merchandise trade grew 7.8 percent in the first eight months of 2016, sharply rebounding from a 27.8-percent decline for the whole of 2015, according to customs data.

The world's second largest economy is seeking wider use of its currency in global trade and investment. Earlier this week, the PBOC appointed the Bank of China as the RMB clearing bank in the United States.