China

China’s slow courting of U.S. payment companies made a tiny step forward this week, shortly after a similar gesture from the U.S. government that teases progress in the broader trade dispute.

Tencent Holdings Ltd. and China UnionPay Co. will soon unify the mobile codes that consumers scan to pay for purchases, granting the Chinese central bank-backed network a bigger foothold in a $27 trillion payments arena.

Online payment processor Allied Wallet is now accepting Alipay as part of its payment gateway to help simplify payments between the U.S. and China.

The Federal Reserve’s Lael Brainard this week tossed fresh regulatory pressure on Facebook’s Libra cryptocurrency project, comments that come as central banks around the world work on digital currencies to counter the social network’s cryptocurrency project.

Fresh off a public offering and shopping boost, Alibaba Group has entered into an agreement with Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) to build digital finance services in areas such as cross-border finance and electronic payment settlement.

Payment companies looking for relief from international political chaos got a moment of clarity in the form of a decisive U.K. election and nominal progress in the trade war.

Most mainland investors can still only watch gains in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., as China’s most valuable listed company extends increases after its Hong Kong stock exchange debut.

Billionaire Jack Ma’s Ant Financial is planning to raise about $1 billion for a fund that will invest in startups from Southeast Asia to India and help strengthen its foothold in fast-growing mobile internet markets, a person familiar with the matter said.

Alibaba’s gigantic stock debut in Hong Kong gives it extra fuel to become a global payments empire.

For decades card networks and issuers outside of China have tried to enter the giant Chinese consumer payments markets, but mostly have run into walls because of shifting regulations.

China wants to balance functionality with concerns about anonymity as it works toward launching a digital version of the yuan, according to an official from the People’s Bank of China.

Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. will spend $3.3 billion to raise its stake in Cainiao, in an effort to exert more control over the logistics subsidiary that underpins its sprawling e-commerce empire.

Ant Financial’s Alipay now allows international visitors to China to pay using its popular mobile app, following up from its aggressive campaign to expand Alipay’s acceptance around the world for Chinese visitors.

Card processor i2C Inc. has formed an alliance with Ecard, a prepaid debit card targeting travelers that's accepted on both Discover and China’s UnionPay network.

Finabler’s Xpress Money cross-border transfer service has partnered with Geoswift to enable consumers in global markets to send funds in real time to Chinese bank accounts.

How PayPal obtained a payments license to operate in China — an achievement that’s long frustrated the biggest U.S. banks and payments networks — sheds light on the unique challenges of breaking into the world’s biggest payments market.

The direct threats to the Trump presidency and Boris Johnson's tenure as prime minister of the U.K. create an extra layer of uncertainty for fintechs.

Brazilian payments provider Ebanx is working with Alibaba Group to test a retail store that combines physical and virtual showcases to allow consumers to obtain Chinese technology products.

Alibaba has added Adyen as a processor, giving the Chinese e-commerce giant an added option to acquire merchants to feed its business for Chinese travelers.

The most popular payment method in Hong Kong is no longer considered safe by many protesters.