China has intensified efforts to streamline payment options for foreign visitors this year, aimed at enhancing their travel experience and boost inbound tourism, which has seen steady growth in recent years.
From January to November, the number of foreign arrivals in China surged by 86.2 percent year on year, reaching 29.2 million.
This influx of tourists has been accompanied by a significant rise in the use of foreign payment methods.
In the first half of this year alone, transaction volumes of foreigners using overseas wallet apps to pay for goods and services in China increased more than sevenfold, according to data from NetsUnion Clearing Corporation, a Chinese online payment clearing house under the People's Bank of China.
During the same period, the number of foreign wallet transactions in China hit 28.75 million, up 5.29 times from the previous year. Meanwhile, transaction volume reached 5.32 billion yuan (about 729 million U.S. dollars), a 7.67-fold increase from last year's figures.
Overseas bank cards are now widely accepted across China, and Chinese mobile payment giants Alipay and WeChat Pay have integrated Visa and Mastercard, allowing foreign visitors to pay seamlessly like locals. "We managed to link our two credit cards to Alipay, and everything worked fine. We looked on the Internet, there are some blogs that explain how to create your Alipay account and how to link your credit card. We only paid with the QR code, almost did not use cash," said a foreign visitor.
"Our collaboration with Alipay and WeChat, is just the first start. Really what it enabled is our global network, our global consumer base, and our global partner network with all the financial institutions. And also another good example is we just announced in September that the Beijing subway can accept direct Mastercard payment. So, as an inbound traveler to Beijing, for them to take subway, they just need to tap their Mastercard at the gate and they can enter the subway," said Dennis Chang, president of Mastercard Greater China.
In September, Beijing's subway system launched a service allowing passengers to tap their Mastercard or Visa card at the gate, eliminating the need for physical tickets.
Since Sept 13, a total of 490 stations across the city's subway network have adopted this new system, further improving convenience for foreign visitors.
China expands payment options for int'l inbound tourists
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), China has continued to advance urban ecological restoration and functional improvement, promoting the development of "park cities" tailored to local conditions.
By prioritizing public needs in urban planning and construction and allocating ecological space more rationally, cities across the country have added greenery, enriched daily life, and significantly improved living environments.
According to the latest data, the green coverage rate in urban built-up areas nationwide has exceeded 43 percent, while per capita park green space has reached 15.9 square meters, an increase of 1.1 square meters compared with 2020.
Over the past year alone, more than 4,700 pocket parks were launched, along with over 5,800 kilometers of greenways.
"The construction of 'park cities' means that in the process of urban planning, development and governance, we can provide inclusive and equitable ecological benefits. This will further meet people's needs to connect with nature and enjoy a better quality of life," said Li Rusheng, head of the Chinese Society of Landscape Architecture.
Since the beginning of the 14th Five-Year Plan, a series of policy measures have been introduced, including Opinions on Promoting High-Quality Urban Development, Opinions on Promoting Green Development in Urban and Rural Construction, and Opinions on Continuously Advancing Urban Renewal, setting out clear requirements for the development of urban parks and green spaces from different perspectives.
Urban renewal initiatives have incorporated park green spaces into renewal plans, while urban "health check" assessments have included coverage of park service radii as an evaluation indicator, helping to optimize park layouts.
These measures have brought more parks closer to residents' homes.
During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China added 19,000 pocket parks and more than 27,000 kilometers of urban greenways. As the number of parks grows, their functions are also becoming more diverse -- supporting night running, fitness, and camping.
Also during the 14th Five-Year Plan period, a total of 19,000 hectares of park lawns nationwide have been opened and shared with the public. Through initiatives such as "table tennis in parks", local government have added 215,000 new sports facilities to parks.
The 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030) recommendations clearly point out that it is imperative to vigorously implement urban renewal, and build modern people's cities that are innovative, livable, beautiful, resilient, civilized, and intelligent.
At present, local governments continue to improve the "assessment–planning–implementation" mechanism for landscaping and greening based on urban renewal, actively promote the adjustment of the incremental structure and the improvement of the quality of existing green space systems, so that the city's green spaces can follow the needs of the people.
"Moving forward, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development will continue to promote the construction of pocket parks and urban greenways, and the opening and sharing of park green spaces. We will provide safer, more convenient, and more attractive green activity venues for the public, guide local governments in renovating and upgrading aging urban parks, enrich the supply of public leisure products, and ensure that the achievements of ecological civilization better benefit the people," said Wang Kaifeng, deputy director of the Department of Urban Development, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.
China expands park cities to improve urban livability in 2021-2025 period
