Beijing is an exciting city! Stay updated with our weekend roundup of the latest news. Earlier this month, we informed you about the launch of online arrival cards for foreigners, which is part of a new array of immigration and exit-entry management service policy initiatives by the National Immigration Administration aimed at "supporting and facilitating high-level opening-up and high-quality development."
The new online arrival platform, launched on November 20, can be accessed through various channels, including a WeChat mini program. Recently, WeChat has introduced additional features aimed at enhancing the experience for foreign visitors to China.
Foreign E-Wallets Now Accepted on WeChat Pay
Several foreign and domestic e-wallets can now be used to make payments to merchants that accept WeChat Pay transactions. Instead of the hassle of using cash or a card, or linking a foreign bank card, users with supported e-wallets can now simply scan or be scanned with WeChat Pay to complete their payments.
The image below shows the e-wallets currently accepted for merchant transactions via WeChat Pay, along with e-wallets like PayPal and Venmo that will be supported soon.
Helpful Mini Programs and Translation Features
WeChat has also released a graphic featuring useful mini programs for foreign visitors, as well as a guide on how to use the mini program translation feature. These graphics include instructions in English and can be shared with visitors from abroad. The QR codes on the "Easy Life with Weixin Mini Program" graphic are scannable within WeChat.
After utilizing the mini program translation function, users have the option to switch the translation language to one of the 18 languages supported.
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Images: Unsplash, Weixin Pai
