Taipei - Taiwan on Monday allowed Chinese tourists to use China's credit card UnionPay card in Taiwan, a move that will benefit both Chinese travellers and Taiwan's economy. Taiwan's National Credit Card Centre and China UnionPay Co signed the agreement on approving the use of UnionPay card in Taiwan, at a ceremony at the National Palace Museum in Taipei.
Jeffrey Koo, chairman of Taiwan's credit card centre, said Chinese visitors can now use UnionPay cards at 500 contracted stores in Taiwan, such as airport duty-free shops and shops at tourist resorts.
"We hope that by the year-end, we can expand the number of contracted shops to 20,000," he said.
Xu Luode, president of China UnioinPay Co, said that in the three- day trial period for UnionPay card, Chinese tourists have made purchased worth 15 million Taiwan dollars (454,000 US dollars).
"So the launch of UnionPay in Taiwan can promote cross-strait economic and tourism exchanges," he said.
UnionPay is the most popular credit card in China, and can also be used in contracted stores in two dozen countries.
However, Chinese visitors still cannot draw cash from Taiwan's ATM, even though they can exchange China's renminbi for the Taiwan dollars in Taiwan banks and at Taiwan's tourist spots.
After being split for six decades, Taiwan opened its door to Chinese tour groups in July 2008. Some 600,000 Chinese tourists are expected to visit Taiwan in 2009, a boost for Taiwan's tourism industry and for the island's economy.
