BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The central banks of China and Thailand have decided to renew a currency swap agreement, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said Monday.

The agreement allows the PBOC and the Bank of Thailand to swap 70 billion yuan (about 10.8 billion U.S. dollars) for 370 billion Thai baht.

The move is aimed at facilitating bilateral trade exchanges and investments while contributing to the growth of both economies.

The agreement will be valid for three years and can be extended by mutual consent.

The two banks inked a 70-billion-yuan currency swap deal in December 2014.

A currency swap deal allows two institutions to exchange payments in one currency for equivalent amounts in the other, to facilitate bilateral trade settlements and provide liquidity support to financial markets.