Apple Pay comes to China after cooperation with China UnionPay

Apple and China UnionPay announced a partnership to bring the digital wallet of Apple Pay to China on Friday.

China UnionPay cardholders will be able to easily add their bank cards to Apple Pay on iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad, providing added convenience and security for daily shopping, a joint-statement from the companies said.

"China UnionPay is dedicated to promoting payment innovations and providing secure, convenient payment experiences for its hundreds of millions of cardholders, aligning multiple parties in the industry," said Chai Hongfeng, executive vice president of China UnionPay.

China is Apple's second largest market in the world after the United States.

"China is an extremely important market for Apple and with China UnionPay and support from 15 of China's leading banks, users will soon have a convenient, private and secure payment experience," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services.

The number of the UnionPay Card issued both at home and abroad has exceeded 5 billion, covering Chinese cities and rural areas as well as more than 150 countries and regions.