China has launched a comprehensive digital initiative designed to eliminate technological barriers for international travelers and non-mainland residents. The Cyberspace Administration of China, in collaboration with ten other government departments, has released the “Implementation Guidelines on Improving the Convenience of Digital Services for Inbound Overseas Visitors,” marking a significant step in the nation’s high-standard opening-up policy.
The guidelines establish a two-phase roadmap targeting 2027 as the deadline for resolving persistent challenges in telecommunications, mobile payments, tourism, and public transportation systems. The ultimate objective is to achieve world-class digital services that seamlessly integrate local systems with international standards.
Key measures include modernizing urban rail systems to accept international bank cards, requiring transportation apps to provide multilingual services, and simplifying telecom registration processes for foreign visitors. The policy specifically addresses payment integration challenges by encouraging support for overseas electronic wallets and decoupling mobile payment systems from mandatory domestic phone number verification.
Additionally, the initiative promotes the development of digital international medical platforms that collaborate with major insurance companies to facilitate secure health record sharing. While advancing these convenience measures, the guidelines emphasize strengthened data security protocols and enhanced personal information protection, particularly for cross-border payments and online reservation systems.
Industry experts have welcomed the changes, noting that previous systems often operated on domestic assumptions that created obstacles for short-term visitors. The transformation is expected to boost inbound tourism spending, revitalize travel and lodging sectors, and provide new momentum for China’s digital economy development.