On April 12, the Promotion Conference of Digital Convenience Services for International Visitors in Guangdong was held in Guangzhou, bringing together representatives from Consulates General in Guangzhou and Foreign Chambers of Commerce in Guangdong from 23 countries.
The conference focused on the newly launched "One Stop" ("灣事通") Mini Program on Alipay and provided user guidance about the "International Visitors Service Zone" ("境外人士數字便利化服務專區") on the program. Powered by Alipay, "One Stop" is designed as a pan-public service and information platform serving users from Guangdong Province, Hong Kong, Macao, as well as overseas individuals, under the guidance of the Guangdong Administration of Government Services and Data Management. From hailing a taxi, entering the metro, and booking a hotel room, to paying a bill at a restaurant, everything can be done right at your fingertips.
Dilan CAN, Commercial Attaché for the Consulate General of Turkey, shared with us how the "One Stop" program will facilitate commercial transactions between Turkey and China. "There are a lot of Turkish business delegations coming to Guangdong every month, especially during the Canton Fair," she pointed out. "In the past, many of them had payment problems. They either didn't come to us for help or just used cash. Now these businessmen can pay, travel, and explore the cities much more easily." As the "One Stop" program features real-time mobile transactions for foreigners in China, she expects more frequent business exchanges between China and Turkey in the future.
Levi Gunza, Vice-Consul of the Consulate General of the Republic of Angola in Guangzhou, was impressed to find out how all sorts of living information are packed up in one application. "This app essentially makes things easier for foreigners. We can find all the information here, like payment, travel, and public services," he commented. He is also working to introduce mobile payment tools like Alipay back to his home country, hoping to digitalize daily payments in Angola.
As the Canton Fair draws closer, Guangdong Province aims to provide one-stop quality services for all international guests through this new program. In addition to that, Guangdong Province has also been working to digitalize business and life services for foreign expats and enhance exchange and cooperation with more countries.