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Censorship in China
TechPolicy
Zhou Xin
Zhou Xin

My Take | China should beware of the cost of creating a digital gap from the rest of the world

  • Foreigners having trouble making mobile payments in China is just a trivial issue when it comes to the cost of its walled internet
  • A digital gap can hurt global perception of China’s economic policy, the international expansion of its tech giants, and the nation’s AI progress

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QR codes for various digital payment services at a food store in Shenzhen, China. Photo: Bloomberg
Zhou Xin
It is so difficult for foreigners to make payments in China that the State Council had to create a special policy guideline to address the problem. As the Post reported, Premier Li Qiang put the issue on the agenda in his latest cabinet meeting on Friday, as part of Beijing’s latest efforts to restore investor confidence.
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The problem can be fixed by technical improvements. In fact, major mobile payment service providers in China, including Ant Group and Tencent Holdings, have already taken steps to make it easier for foreign visitors to pay in the country.

(Ant Group is an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the Post.)

But the bigger issue in China is the desire to develop a walled online world, and the difficulty for foreigners to make payments is just one of the smaller negative consequences.

A traveller checks his smartphone at the Beijing West railway station. Photo: Reuters
A traveller checks his smartphone at the Beijing West railway station. Photo: Reuters

China has created an exuberant and unique digital world with tightly restricted access to the outside world. Most Chinese online services adhere to the state’s real-name registration requirement, making it a headache for visitors who have no Chinese identity cards or local phone numbers.

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