Beijing Banks Issue IC CardsSeven Chinese commercial banks in Beijing jointly issued integrated circuit (IC) cards in Beijing to promote the use of the so-called electronic wallet.The seven banks are China Industry and Commerce Bank, China Agriculture Bank, the Bank of China, China Construction Bank, CITIC Industrial Bank and the Shanghai Pudong Development Bank. According to local bank sources, IC card users can easily pay their bills or get money from any of the seven banks with their cards. China began to take measures to standardize administration and production systems of IC card manufacturers in 1998. At present, 14 banks are engaged in IC card business, and a total of nearly seven million cards have been distributed. |
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