WeChat joins the e-CNY testing programme.

The WeChat communication system, owned by the Chinese tech giant Tencent, присоединилась to the testing of the digital yuan (e-CNY). Users of the app in the pilot-programme regions can use the instrument as a means of payment.

To conduct transactions with CBDC, WeChat users must submit a corresponding application to the neobank WeBank. The latter also belongs to Tencent.

Earlier, the People’s Bank of China announced the expansion of the e-CNY testing programme. The initiative now includes: Shenzhen, Suzhou, Xunyang, Chengdu, Shanghai, Hainan, Changsha, Xi’an, Qingdao, Dalian, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Xiamen and six cities in Zhejiang Province hosting the Asian Games.

According to Statista, as of January 2022 WeChat had more than 1.2 billion users. In February 2021, it was reported that an entity affiliated with the WeBank app was among the first to join the pilot testing of the digital yuan.

In January 2022, the Chinese food-delivery company Meituan allowed partner merchants to accept e-CNY. Coupons were promised to users for paying orders with the tool.

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