Foreigners tap into Shenzhen e-payment

Shenzhen in South China's Guangdong province has made remarkable progress in facilitating payment transactions for foreigners visiting the city as it strives to create a favorable environment amid a surge in the number of such visitors, thanks to optimized visa policies.

Foreign nationals made a total of 85.88 million noncash payment transactions in the southern metropolis in the first half, with the value hitting 11.81 billion yuan ($1.65 billion), according to the latest data released by the People's Bank of China Shenzhen Branch on Tuesday. The figures represented 29 percent and 35 percent year-on-year growth, respectively.

South Korea, the United States and Singapore ranked as the top three source countries in Shenzhen's inbound consumption market in the first six months, collectively contributing nearly 30 percent of the total consumption value.