(Reuters) – In an interview with the TASS news agency, Beijing’s envoy said that the Russian and Chinese central banks would discuss how to promote their national payment systems.

Zhang Hanhui stated that the central banks of both sides will decide the question regarding promotion and usage of Mir and China UnionPay national payments systems in the respective countries.

Mir and UnionPay were the only options for Russians who wish to send money abroad after Russian banks were cut off from the international financial system as a result of what Moscow called its “special military intervention” in Ukraine.

Visa Inc MasterCard Inc and (NYSE:) are two of the Western corporations that have suspended their operations in Russia.

China is refusing to condemn Russia’s actions against Ukraine. It has also criticized Western sanctions that have been placed on Moscow. In recent years, the two countries have strengthened their ties. They even announced a partnership “without limits” in February.

China said that it would use the clearing bank in yuan to operate on Russian territory. The goal is to sustain Russia’s growth of its national trade which Russia estimates will reach $200 billion by 2024.

He said also that Russia and China were not advocating the abandonment of U.S. dollars and Euro settlements in bilateral commerce.