The initiatives for the development of cross-border QR payments and Digital Tenge were presented to Chinese partners by the Chairman of the Board of the National Payment Corporation of Kazakhstan, Zhanar Samayeva, during the XIII session of the Subcommittee on Kazakhstan-China Cooperation between the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Bank of China.

As noted during the meeting, Kazakhstan and China are considering prospects for exchanging experience in implementing digital currencies for cross-border operations, developing offline payments, and using national digital currencies in business scenarios, such as automated settlements and digital financial assets.

«Joint work in these areas will help create efficient and secure mechanisms for international payments, strengthen economic ties, and accelerate the digital transformation of the financial systems of both countries», — emphasized Z. Samayeva.

The use of cross-border QR codes will speed up payments and facilitate access to financial services, especially for tourists and entrepreneurs. Kazakhstan is already implementing an interbank QR payment system that ensures universality and compatibility between banks. By 2025, it is expected that all second-tier banks will be fully connected to this system, significantly enhancing user convenience. China’s experience in digital payments can serve as a valuable resource for the further development of the project.

Another key area of cooperation is the study of central bank digital currencies. China successfully uses the digital yuan in domestic payments, which supports offline transactions and features programmability. Since 2021, the National Bank of Kazakhstan has also been working on the digital tenge, which has already been implemented in pilot industrial operation, and in 2024, the first use cases in government payments were implemented.

These projects, when jointly implemented, could simplify financial operations between the two countries and create new opportunities for businesses and citizens.

The National Payment Corporation of the Republic of Kazakhstan (NPC) is a subsidiary of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, established to develop a modern and secure payment ecosystem. More than 350,000 transactions are processed daily through the NPC. The main activity of the corporation is ensuring clearing for cashless settlements. The NPC also implements projects related to the Digital Tenge, anti-fraud systems, and open banking, aimed at strengthening financial stability and fostering the innovative development of the payment industry.