Chinese media outlet Reference News reported on the 26th, publishing an article stating that 'China is offering even more payment options to foreign tourists.'

According to the article, the UK's Financial Times (FT) recently mentioned that Chinese tech giant Tencent released a new payment app targeting foreign tourists visiting China, and reported that the company is trying to capture spending from international travelers amidst the 'China-making' boom overseas.

According to the FT, Tencent on the 24th released the app 'TenPayGo,' which allows international travelers to pay at tens of millions of restaurants and shops via Tencent's payment network using Visa, Mastercard, and Apple Pay.

The FT reported that regarding TenPayGo, 'it will compete with Ant Group's Alipay, which has established itself as a major payment method among foreign travelers who journey through China almost entirely cashless.'

And, following China's expansion of visa exemption measures for ordinary passport holders from dozens of countries, including the UK, France, and Spain, the number of international travelers to China in the first half of this year (January-June) reached 22.9 million, an increase of 20% compared to the same period last year.

The FT also mentioned that with TenPayGo, travelers can order food delivery and book ride-hailing services, and it is equipped with object recognition tools and menu translation tools.

And it reported that 'these moves by Tencent are happening as Chinese cities and tourist destinations are putting effort into attracting international travelers.' (Translation/Editing: Yanagawa)