It’s getting easier for visitors to China to pay for things, thanks to tie ups between Visa, Mastercard and Alipay. That could have implications for data security.
A customer presents their Alipay QR code to pay for their purchases at supermarket in Shanghai. Credit: Imaginechina via AP Images
The widening divergence between China and the West in recent years is not just about politics and ideology. Even the technologies that make everyday life possible have moved apart.
For years, foreign visitors to China have been unable to use Western credit cards to pay in many restaurants and shops. That’s because Chinese vendors typically require customers to pay using mobile payment systems available only to those with a Chinese bank account.
With tourist numbers to China now in
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