From June 13 to 14, 2024, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) held meetings in Chengdu and Xi’an on advancing the optimization of payment services. The meetings aimed to enhance collaboration among relevant authorities and industries, guiding and urging financial institutions in Sichuan and Shaanxi to step up efforts and work together to advance the optimization of payment services. Zhang Qingsong, PBOC Deputy Governor, Zuo Yongxiang, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Sichuan Province, and Li Jun, Vice Governor of the People’s Government of Shaanxi Province, attended and addressed the meeting.
As noted at the meetings, Sichuan is an inland opening-up highland in western China, and Shaanxi is the starting point of the ancient Silk Road. The two places are engaged in wide-ranging external exchanges and have abundant tourism resources. Therefore, effectively optimizing payment services is of great significance. The Communist Party of China (CPC) Sichuan Provincial Committee and the Sichuan Provincial Government as well as the CPC Shaanxi Provincial Committee and the Shaanxi Provincial Government attach great importance to payment facilitation. Relevant agencies and financial institutions have made concerted efforts to introduce targeted measures based on local conditions Taking advantage of local cultural tourism resources, they have made active explorations in developing payment service demonstration zones around airports, scenic spots, and high-speed rail stations as well as building a sustainable development model. Keeping a close eye on key tasks related to bank card acceptance, cash payment, mobile payment and account services, they have achieved remarkable results in improving age-friendly services and services in international scenarios, thereby continuously optimizing the payment service environment.
The meetings required that all relevant parties take the optimization of payment services as an important task, further strengthen the sense of responsibility, adopt a realistic and problem-oriented approach, and make continued, long-term and persistent efforts to provide more scientific, targeted and precise payment services, thus accelerating the construction of a sustainable development model and achieving both social benefits and economic returns. The PBOC Sichuan Provincial Branch and Shaanxi Provincial Branch should strengthen coordination with the authorities in charge of culture and tourism, commerce, transport, and other relevant industries, so as to achieve synergy and encourage local financial institutions to take city-specific measures centering on key tasks, key scenes and weak links. They should establish a sound long-term working mechanism jointly built by all parties, and provide more diversified, higher-quality, and more convenient payment services, thereby continuously improving the convenience and satisfaction of payment services for elderly people, overseas visitors to China and other groups.
Attendees included Liu Xiaoliu, Executive Vice Mayor of Chengdu City, Meng Hao, Vice Mayor of Xi’an City, and officials from relevant departments of Sichuan Provincial Government and Shaanxi Provincial Government, relevant departments of the PBOC and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange, and the PBOC Sichuan Provincial Branch and Shaanxi Provincial Branch. Representatives from some commercial banks, non-bank payment institutions, clearing institutions, and enterprises in the relevant industries were also present.
