BEIJING, March 18 -- China's central bank has signed a one billion yuan (about 160 million U.S. dollars) currency swap deal with the Republic of Suriname, the People's Bank of China(PBOC) said on Wednesday.

The three-year deal aims to boost bilateral trade and investment and strengthen financial cooperation between the two central banks, said a statement on the PBOC website.

The deal could be extended upon agreement by both sides, it said.

To promote the international use of the yuan, China has signed currency swap agreements with more than 20 countries and regions since the onset of the global financial crisis in late 2008.