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Extreme Weather Warning, Temperatures of 38 Degrees Expected Today...

Hot! Hot! Hot! The temperature is expected to reach a high of 38℃ in Haikou today, with an orange warning for high temperatures in effect. This is the first warning of its kind this year and is expected to continue until tomorrow.

From July! New “mandatory national standard” for e-bike helmets in...

Starting from July 2023, all e-bike riders in China will be required to wear helmets that comply with the new national standard. The standard sets strict rules for the durability and reliability of the straps and other components, collision energy absorption, puncture resistance, and eye protection.

Plan Your Getaway: 2023 Upcoming Holidays to Look Forward...

How time flies, we’re already halfway through the month of March, with the Qingming Festival holiday also known as Tomb Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness Festival, just around the corner.

From Landfill to Eco Park: Yanchunling Restoration Project Unveils...

The "plan" for Yanchunling Ecological Park includes three design schemes, each with detailed introductions to the design concepts, investment estimates, and pros and cons. The public is encouraged to provide feedback on the park's design concept, functional layout, traffic organization, plant configuration, architectural style, urban furniture, and signage system.
HomeLatest newsAlipay, WeChat Pay...

Alipay, WeChat Pay to allow visitors to China to use international credit cards

According to government statistics, nearly 31 million international visitors travelled to China in 2018 and spent $73 billion, an increase of about 5% compared to 2017.

Alipay and WeChat Pay just made it easier for them to use mobile payments.

International version of Alipay's mobile payments app
International version of Alipay’s mobile payments app

Alibaba-affiliated Ant Financial launched a new international version of its mobile payments app Alipay on Tuesday, allowing tourists and business travellers to use mobile payments with international cards in mainland China for the first time.

Not to be outdone, Tencent-owned WeChat Pay announced yesterday that it also now supports international credit cards for foreign visitors.

Supported cards include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and Japan’s JCB and Singapore’s Diners Club cards.

For now however, the system is limited to certain online services.

Tencent said international cards can be used to pay for the ride-hailing service Didi, ecommerce app JD.com, travel booking app Ctrip and 12306, the official train ticket booking site run by China Railway.

Everyone from taxi drivers to street side fruit and veg sellers have come to rely on mobile payments
Everyone from taxi drivers to street side fruit and veg sellers have come to rely on mobile payments

The services are expected to remove one of the biggest headaches for international visitors to China, where everyone from taxi drivers to street side fruit and veg sellers have come to rely on mobile payments.

Alipay and WeChat dominate cashless payments in China, accounting for 94% of the country’s mobile-payment market.

How to add bank card to Alipay
How to add bank card to Alipay

With more than a billion users, the digital payment systems have largely replaced plastic cards and cash at checkout registers. The use of mobile payments has become so prevalent in fact that many businesses in the services sector no longer accept cash payments.

Many service no longer accept cash payments
Many service no longer accept cash payments

The number of car parks in Haikou for example that no longer have attendants at the exit booth to accept payment is increasing fast, and more and more restaurants only accept mobile payments.    

Alipay's quick pay system
Alipay’s quick pay system

Quick Pay

Allipay and WeChat Quick Pay are currently the most common ways to accept payment in a physical store in China.

Customers scan the payment QR code, enter in the correct amount to be paid and click pay. It’s a much faster payment solution than either cash or credit card and in most cases, users don’t even needs to enter in their digital pin code to approve the payment, fingerprint readers in their mobile device perform the task near instantly.

China’s central bank is also pushing to let under-served populations join the cashless trend, including rural residents without bank accounts. According to the People’s Bank of China in a report earlier this year, mobile payments in China hit $42 trillion in 2018, up more than 28 times from five years ago.

Related article: Uncivilized behavior banned on China’s subways and trains

Extreme Weather Warning, Temperatures of 38 Degrees Expected Today in Haikou

Hot! Hot! Hot! The temperature is expected to reach a high of 38℃ in Haikou today, with an orange warning for high temperatures in effect. This is the first warning of its kind this year and is expected to continue until tomorrow.

From July! New “mandatory national standard” for e-bike helmets in China

Starting from July 2023, all e-bike riders in China will be required to wear helmets that comply with the new national standard. The standard sets strict rules for the durability and reliability of the straps and other components, collision energy absorption, puncture resistance, and eye protection.

Plan Your Getaway: 2023 Upcoming Holidays to Look Forward to, Including Qingming Festival and Labour Day Breaks

How time flies, we’re already halfway through the month of March, with the Qingming Festival holiday also known as Tomb Sweeping Day or Pure Brightness Festival, just around the corner.

From Landfill to Eco Park: Yanchunling Restoration Project Unveils Design Plans

The "plan" for Yanchunling Ecological Park includes three design schemes, each with detailed introductions to the design concepts, investment estimates, and pros and cons. The public is encouraged to provide feedback on the park's design concept, functional layout, traffic organization, plant configuration, architectural style, urban furniture, and signage system.

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China turns on nuclear-powered artificial sun

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Extreme Weather Warning, Temperatures of 38 Degrees Expected Today in Haikou

Hot! Hot! Hot! The temperature is expected to reach a high of 38℃ in Haikou today, with an orange warning for high temperatures in effect. This is the first warning of its kind this year and is expected to continue until tomorrow.

Announcement on the Introduction of “Guarantee and Instant Pick-up Delivery Methods” for Duty-Free Shopping on Hainan Island

In an effort to enhance the duty-free shopping experience for island-bound tourists, Hainan Island has introduced that the "Guarantee Delivery" and "Instant Purchase and Pick-up" methods are now available for tourists purchasing duty-free goods from Hainan's duty-free shops.

New Duty-Free Pickup Point for Rail and Ferry Travelers Opens at Haikou South Port

In a move aimed at supporting the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port as an international tourism and consumption centre, the duty-free pickup point for travellers departing Hainan Island by rail and, or, ferry will open on March 23rd at Haikou South Port (海口南港), according to the Hainan Daily.

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