WELLINGTON, May 22  -- The central banks of China and New Zealand on Thursday announced the renewal of a reciprocal currency arrangement to support the settlement of bilateral business deals.

The swap line was first agreed by the People's Bank of China and the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) in 2011 to promote bilateral trade and direct investment.

The size of the swap facility was 25 billion Renminbi (Chinese yuan), or 5 billion NZ dollars (4.29 billion U.S. dollars), and had a three-year maturity that could be extended if both parties agreed.

RBNZ deputy governor Grant Spencer said in a statement that the bilateral currency swap line would further help the international use of the Renminbi and contribute to a strengthening of the China- New Zealand relationship.