On April 11, 2025, the Central Bank of Uzbekistan announced the start of negotiations with the largest Chinese payment systems WeChat Pay and Alipay. Miraziz Mirkhayetov, Deputy Director of the Central Bank's Payment Systems Department, explained that the negotiations are aimed at integrating Chinese services with Uzbekistan's national payment platforms, such as Uzcard and Humo.
The press service of the Central Bank clarifies that the key goal of the negotiations is to provide an opportunity for foreign tourists, including from China, to use their usual payment instruments during their stay in Uzbekistan. At the first stage, it is planned to introduce mechanisms that allow accepting payments via WeChat Pay and Alipay in retail outlets and services in the country. This will create more comfortable conditions for foreign visitors and will contribute to the growth of the tourist flow.
At the second stage, it is planned to consider the possibility of reverse integration — that is, providing the opportunity for Uzbek citizens to make payments in China using cards of the national payment systems Uzcard and Humo.
The Central Bank emphasizes that cooperation with international payment systems is part of a broader strategy to increase the availability and convenience of financial services, as well as to strengthen Uzbekistan's position as an open and attractive tourist destination. Negotiations with Chinese partners are at an early stage, but they have already attracted interest from market participants and experts in the field of digital finance.
