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> Given that the Chinese government actively promotes tourism, the number of hoops a foreigner has to jump through to pay for things where cash isn't accepted i

> Given that the Chinese government actively promotes tourism, the number of hoops a foreigner has to jump through to pay for things where cash isn't accepted is quite ridiculous. Setting up WeChat pay is a pretty minor problem as far as tourism is concerned. Aside from the fact that almost everyone does take cash (at least 3 months ago in Shanghai), it's only difficult if you don't know someone with RMB willing to do currency exchange. The big problems all tourists face are directly due to government policies: * Painful to get initial entry visa, especially if you don't live near a consulate. * Setting up a VPN so you can even access basic services like your email.

isostatic 8y ago
Many countries (Uk anyway) can get 6 days transit without a visa if you head to a 3rd country. I flew to Beijing on short notice a couple of months ago, got a flight Glasgow-London-Beijing (5 days) - seoul - London There are limitations (no leaving city of arrival), but it’s a useful last minute thing. You could do a tourist visit to Beijing, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and back home without a visa. For VPN, speedify worked well. I did pay cash in one place (near the diplomatic sector of Beijing), but got such a funny look I didn’t try again. Hotel took Amex.