SHANGHAI, July 30 (Reuters) - China's yuan rose against the dollar for the seventh straight day on Wednesday, trading at its highest level since late March, even as the central bank set a weaker midpoint fixing.     The People's Bank of China set the midpoint rate at 6.1645 per dollar prior to market open, down 0.05 percent from the previous fix. The spot rate is currently allowed to trade 2 percent above or below the midpoint.     The spot market opened at 6.1820 per dollar and was changing hands at 6.1777 by midday, 0.06 percent stronger from the previous close.      The spot rate was only 0.21 percent above the midpoint, the closest it has been to the fixing since mid-March when the trading band was widened.   The onshore spot yuan market at a glance:   Item                       Current    Previous  Change  PBOC midpoint  
  CNY=SAEC
     6.1645     6.1615    -0.05%  Spot yuan  
  CNY=CFXS
         6.1777     6.1815     0.06%  Divergence from midpoint*  0.21%                  Spot change ytd                                 -2.00%  Spot change since 2005 revaluation              33.97%   *Divergence of the dollar/yuan exchange rate. Negative number indicates that spot yuan is trading stronger than the midpoint. The People's Bank of China (PBOC) allows the exchange rate to rise or fall 2 percent from official midpoint rate it sets each morning.  OFFSHORE CNH MARKET         The offshore yuan market at a glance:  Instrument                     Current  Difference                                          from onshore  Offshore spot yuan  
  CNH=D3
   *  6.1765   0.02%  Offshore non-deliverable       6.2454   -1.30%  forwards  
  CNY1YNDFOR=
   **                  *Premium for offshore spot over onshore  
  CNY=CFXS
   **Figure reflects difference from PBOC's official midpoint, since non-deliverable forwards are settled against the midpoint.  
  CNY=SAEC
  .           >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>       FACTBOX     - Yuan and capital account reforms and pilot programmes       
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       - Flood of offshore yuan bonds may spark higher yields [ID: nL3N0KX1IA]               KEY DATA POINTS     - Yuan spot performance versus midpoint after trading band widened 
  http://link.reuters.com/jyz38v
        - China's yuan, other emerging mkt currencies vs dollar 
  http://link.reuters.com/xyd46v
        - Global currency performance INTERACTIVE GRAPHIC: 
  http://link.reuters.com/cyx46v
        - China's trade surpluses mainly driven by weak imports rather than strong exports. GRAPHIC: 
  http://link.reuters.com/qav68s
        - Despite relatively stable dollar/yuan exchange, the yuan is appreciating on a trade-weighted basis. GRAPHIC: 
  http://link.reuters.com/sed74t
       For a summary of all recent coverage and graphics on the internationalisation of the yuan, click here:  
  ID:nL3N0O7190
            >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>      (Reporting by the Shanghai Newsroom; Editing by Jacqueline Wong)  ((pete.sweeney@thomsonreuters.com))  Keywords: MARKETS CHINA YUAN MIDDAY/