Mastercard Greater China President Dennis Chang said Beijing Subway's new "tap to ride" service addresses a key challenge for foreign passengers and improves their experience in the capital, which makes the city a leader in smart transit.
The service allows international travelers to enter subway with just a quick tap of overseas issued bank cards, streamlining the process and making it more convenient than ever.
"This is a major milestone, all the international travelers coming into China, coming into Beijing, can use their overseas issued Mastercard to tap and go across some 10,000 gates at 490 stations in the Beijing subway system and this is simply outstanding, simply awesome. And it showcases how Beijing has become a smart transit city, a leader in the world in the category. It allows consumers to use the payment method that they are most familiar with as an international consumer. And I'm sure there will be more and more Chinese (cities) that (open) up (convenient) payment programs like this," said Chang.
Chang revealed that Mastercard started a program called "pay like a local" in 2023 to assist international travelers in China. Their first step was to connect with China's two biggest digital wallet - Alipay and WeChat. He believes that this is Mastercard's best way to answer the call of the Chinese government in high quality opening up.
Mastercard has doubled down on its acceptance and network expansion in China. As a result, it can not only facilitate inbound tourists but also provides domestic users more flexibility and variety of payment choices.
Looking ahead, Chang expressed Mastercard's commitment to capitalizing on China's efforts towards further digitization.
"I believe China can be a fantastic example of how a society migrates into digitization, advancing to more innovative and more interoperable payment solutions for its citizens, for the society. And this can be a fantastic example for the rest of the world that's going through the different stages of digitization and going into this development of payment ecosystems. And in Mastercard, we want to bring options for all the consumers, we want to bring value to all our business partners. And eventually we believe a global interconnected, interoperable payment solution (that) works for everyone, allows everyone to connect," he said.
Innovative payment service adopted by Beijing subway facilitates international exchanges, smart transit
A former television host from Taiwan, Zhai Xuan, has made a pivotal decision to leave mainstream broadcasting in order to create content that provides a better understanding of the Chinese mainland and cross-strait relations.
Zhai, a seasoned television host with over a decade of experience in Taiwan's media landscape, recently addressed an audience at an event in Beijing, where she revealed her complete transition into independent online media.
In her remarks, she articulated her aspiration to bridge what she perceives as a significant information gap between audiences on both sides of the Strait, highlighting her commitment to fostering a deeper understanding and connection through her new endeavors.
"I was really surprised by all the fake news. There were stories saying people on the mainland can't afford tea eggs or that they live in mud houses and in Taiwan, this was the main information many people received," said Zhai.
Zhai said she initially began producing online videos to challenge such perceptions while continuing her work as a television host.
In April 2025, she travelled to the mainland with her father to fulfill her late grandfather's wish to return to his hometown. The trip, which reunited family members separated since 1949, was recorded in a video series titled "Journey to Find Our Roots", drawing attention from viewers in both Taiwan and the mainland.
"Many people in Taiwan told me that after watching, they wanted to apply for a mainland travel permit immediately and go looking for their relatives. Some had long forgotten these things, but after seeing my story, they began thinking about their hometowns and family members they had never met and decided to search for their roots," Zhai shared her story at the event.
By mid-2025, Zhai said she began to feel increasing pressure amid rising political tensions and a tightening atmosphere around cross-Strait exchanges in Taiwan.
After more than 12 years in the industry, Zhai resigned from her position, believing it was the right thing to do.
"At that moment, I felt this was a major issue，not just for me, but for Chinese people on both sides of the Strait. If I backed down then, I wouldn’t be standing on the right side," said Zhai.
Since leaving television, Zhai has broadened her online programming to encompass a range of daily-life topics, including practical guidance on applying for a mainland travel permit and using commonly employed mobile applications, in addition to content that delves into historical memory and cultural connections across the Strait.
As the debate over cross-Strait relations continues in Taiwan, Zhai said she remains committed to her current path.
Former Taiwan TV host bridges cross-Strait divide via online media
