This paper investigates the prospect of the Renminbi becoming an international currency. The analysis is made based on the conditions imposed by China's foreign trade and financial sectors. The sheer size of China's foreign trade is advantageous to the internationalization of the Renminbi, but the structural factors of this sector are not. Under present circumstances, China's financial sector poses severe constraints on the internationalization of the Renminbi. In terms of openness, liquidity and breadth, China's financial sector has a long way to go before the Renminbi can attain international currency status. Due to strict capital controls and a low level of financial development in China, it is rather difficult for foreign residents to invest in China's financial market or use the Renminbi as a funding currency. As China has a dominant position in East Asia, the Renminbi may emerge as an international currency in this region. However, the use of the Renminbi as an international currency may not go very far beyond East Asia if China cannot improve the competiveness of its foreign trade sector, liberalize its capital and financial accounts, and develop its financial markets.