JAKARTA - Indonesians traveling or doing business in China will be able to pay using their domestic payment apps on Alipay from May 2026, the Bank Indonesia representative in Beijing said Tuesday at a business forum in Changsha, Hunan province.

Yulian Wihantoro, Head of the Bank Indonesia Beijing Representative Office, made the announcement at the “Indonesia-China Business Dialogue,” organized by the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing and the Indonesia Investment Promotion Center Beijing, which drew around 200 business representatives from both countries. 

“An efficient financial system helps businesses reduce costs, manage risks, and improve operational efficiency. This is where financial cooperation between Indonesia and China becomes very relevant and important,” he said, as quoted by Indonesia’s state-owned agency Antara.

The Alipay integration is a further step in a cross-border payments push that has been building since BI and the People's Bank of China signed a local currency transaction framework in May 2025. 

Indonesia's domestic QR payment system has been usable at merchants in China since August 17, 2025, initially through UnionPay International, with a broader launch targeted for end of March or early April 2026. 

The Alipay integration, which would extend access to Alipay's far larger merchant network, is planned to follow in May. 

“The LCT framework continues to develop and the number of companies and transactions participating is increasing significantly. China now contributes a large portion of LCT transactions outside ASEAN countries,” Yulian said.

Also speaking at the forum was Chen Hailei, Vice President of CNGR Indonesia, a Chinese EV battery materials producer operating in Morowali, Central Sulawesi. 

He said initial capital expenditure in Indonesia runs around 25 to 30 percent higher than in China, but operating costs are significantly lower, and that overall investment cost comparisons had fallen nearly 30 percent from 2021 to 2025. 

“The products we produce in Indonesia, including battery materials, ternary materials, and various other product forms, are all produced to global standards,” he said.