Beijing, Sep 18 (IANS): The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the yuan, strengthened 63 basis points to 6.3607 against the US dollar on Friday, according to the China Foreign Exchange Trading System.

The strengthening came after the US Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged on Thursday, Xinhua news agency reported.

In China's spot foreign exchange market, the yuan is allowed to rise or fall by 2 percent from the central parity rate each trading day.

The People's Bank of China reformed the exchange rate formation system on August 11 to better reflect market development in the exchange rate of the Chinese yuan against the US dollar.

The central parity rate of the yuan against the US dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the market each business day and also refers to the closing rate on the previous day, in conjunction with supply and demand condition and movement of major currencies.