Laos and China have launched a new digital payment link that allows Chinese visitors to pay Lao businesses using China’s digital yuan, without needing to exchange cash into Lao kip.
The system connects China’s digital yuan, known as e-CNY, with Laos’ domestic QR payment network. A Chinese visitor can now open their e-CNY wallet, scan a participating Lao merchant’s QR code, and make a payment from their phone.
The Lao merchant receives the payment through the Lao payment system, while the transaction is processed between the two countries’ financial networks.
The Bank of the Lao PDR announced the launch on 18 September in Guangxi, China, during the 2026 China-ASEAN Financial Cooperation and Development Conference.
Convenience
For Chinese travelers, the main change is convenience. They can use e-CNY to make payments at participating Lao businesses by scanning Lao QR codes, rather than carrying large amounts of cash or first exchanging money into Lao kip.
The system does not mean Lao businesses are suddenly accepting physical Chinese yuan. The payment is digital and moves through the linked payment networks.
The first phase is available through 17 payment service providers connected to the Lao National Payment Network (LAPNet), Laos’ national payment network, including Lao banks and payment platforms.
Not every business in Laos will necessarily accept e-CNY. The service depends on the merchant being connected to a participating payment provider.
e-CNY is China’s digital yuan. It is issued by China’s central bank and used through digital wallets rather than physical banknotes.
Businesses and Investors
The countries are also testing a separate system called the Cross-border e-CNY Transfer System (CBETS) for larger payments between businesses and financial institutions.
This is different from the QR payment system used by tourists.
CBETS is intended for transactions such as trade settlement, investment, and financing. Some Lao banks have already connected to the system.
The Bank of the Lao PDR said CBETS could simplify some procedures involved in traditional cross-border transfers while improving transaction tracking and transparency.
Regional QR Payment Expansion
Laos has already been expanding cross-border QR payments with neighboring countries.
QR payment links with Thailand, Vietnam, and Cambodia allow participating travelers to make payments through their banking apps when visiting each country.
The China connection adds another major market to Laos’ growing cross-border digital payment network.
The new system builds on earlier Laos-China payment cooperation, including a test-QR-payment transaction completed in Laos by the Bank of China Vientiane branch in late 2025.
With the latest move, Chinese tourists can now use China’s digital yuan on their phones to pay participating Lao businesses through Lao QR codes, while a separate system is being developed to make larger China-Laos business payments easier.
