Continuing China’s push to become a leader in cross-border payments, the Chinese government has introduced new programs with Vietnam and Indonesia to enable seamless QR code transfers between the countries.
UnionPay International (UPI), China’s state-owned financial services corporation, detailed the collaborations with the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS) and Indonesia’s national payment institutions. The goal is to allow merchants abroad to accept payments from Chinese consumers while deepening economic, trade, and cultural ties.
Vietnam is expected to have more than 30,000 merchants able to accept QR code payments by the end of this year, according to NAPAS. The organization plans to expand participation in 2026 to all the member institutions, including banks, payment institutions, and major local e-wallets.
The Rise of QR Codes
QR codes have become increasingly important across Southeast Asia as countries expand their digital financial systems. According to the e-Conomy SEA 2025 report from Bain & Company, all 10 ASEAN member states now operate national QR payment systems, and eight have enabled cross-border QR interoperability.
The pilot in Indonesia, developed with guidance from both nations’ central banks, also relies on QR codes. The initiative connects local switching networks and payment service providers in each country.
Moving Away from the Dollar
Just as important, both efforts eliminate the need for currency conversion. China has been seeking ways to reduce reliance on the U.S. dollar for cross-border transactions, a goal that helped drive the creation of CIPS, a system that allows foreign businesses to pay Chinese suppliers in yuan.
Earlier this week, CIPS announced that South Africa’s Standard Bank had become the first institution in Africa to join the network. The bank emphasized that the new system will help African businesses that import Chinese materials by reducing their exposure to fluctuations in the dollar exchange rate.
CIPS was established more than a decade ago as a yuan-based settlement and clearing system for transactions. Positioned as an alternative to the dominant Swift payments system, it is overseen by China’s central bank and operated by the private company CIPS Co. Ltd.
