How easily can foreigners travel to China and spend money?

Chinese mobile payment platforms, dominated by domestic firms, cater to locals and restrict use by foreigners due to financial and data-control laws.

But in late July, the People’s Bank of China vowed to make it more convenient for visitors to make payments in China amid a wider effort to lure back overseas tourists and foreign investment.

Yan Fang, head of the PBOC’s Payment and Settlement Department, said foreign visitors could flexibly choose among various payment methods, including bank cards, cash and mobile payments, according to state media.

In June, 1.61 million transactions were made via overseas bank cards in China, with the transaction volume amounting to 2.9 billion yuan (US$400 million) – both approximately doubling the levels seen in February, according to Yan.

In the first half of the year, more than 5 million inbound visitors used mobile payments, representing a fourfold year-on-year increase, Yan added.

Have China’s new visa-free policies affected tourism?

Passport holders from 54 nations, including Australia, Japan, the United States and countries throughout Europe, can reach much of mainland China via its international airports, which can process visa-free arrivals for transit passengers for 72 to 144 hours.

What other policies have eased to attract foreign tourists?

Foreigners holding a standard passport from any nation with diplomatic ties to China can visit the island province by joining a tour group – of at least two people – organised by a registered travel agency in Hong Kong or Macau.