China and Vietnam have announced the official rollout of a bilateral QR code payment service in Hanoi, marking the launch of the solution in the Vietnamese market.
With this project between the two countries, consumers from China are set to be able to make payments at merchants accepting the national Vietnamese QR code system VietQR, leveraging China’s mobile payment tools in Vietnam.
The move was officially announced on 2 December 2025, with Nguyen Quang Minh, CEO of National Payment Corporation of Vietnam (NAPAS), stating that introducing the bilateral QR code payment system comes as a milestone that will solidify and optimise financial connectivity between China and Vietnam.
Adding to this, Wang Lixin, CEO of UnionPay International, noted that the project will provide mutual benefits to businesses and consumers.
Linking China and Vietnam through payments
The service was introduced by the National Payment Corporation of Vietnam, UnionPay International (UPI), the Industrial and Commercial Bank of India (ICBC), and Vietcombank. The launch comes after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October 2024 and a four-party agreement between UPI, NAPAS, ICBC, and Vietcombank to plan the framework for technical connectivity and settlement.
As the technical phase has now been finalised, Chinese visitors can make payments in Vietnam by scanning VietQR at participating merchants, including major retailers, shopping centres, tourist sites, restaurants, and travel services. Among the early adopters are Central Retail Vietnam’s supermarket system, Highland Coffee, and payment points across the Sun World tourism ecosystem.
Furthermore, NAPAS CEO Nguyen Quang Minh also stated that the launch comes as a result of close collaboration between all involved parties under the guidance of the State Bank of Vietnam. The solution intends to scale financial connectivity, increase the use of local currencies in cross-border transactions, and support trade, tourism, and broader economic cooperation between China and Vietnam.
