The World Bank has issued its first yuan-denominated bond in a move that will help China as it tries to increase the use of its currency in global markets. The Washington-based lender said Tuesday it would raise 500 million yuan (76 million dollars) from the two-year bond issue on Hong Kong's yuan-denominated bond market. The move will "further deepen the market and permit investors to diversify their currency holdings and expand renminbi exposure", the World Bank said in a statement, using the official name for the Chinese unit. Last month, China said its second yuan-denominated bond issue in Hong Kong had initially raised five billion yuan, with plans for another three billion yuan to be sold. The move followed Beijing's first yuan-denominated bond issue in Hong Kong in September last year, worth about six billion yuan.