PHNOM PENH, March 19 (Xinhua) -- A Cambodia-China tourism debit card initiative has been launched to enhance cross-border QR code payments, boost tourism growth and provide more convenience to travelers, said a news release from Cambodia's Ministry of Tourism on Thursday.

Artists perform during the official launch of Cambodia-China Tourism Year 2025 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 23, 2025. (File photo: Xinhua)

Introduced by the Bank of China Phnom Penh Branch, the initiative was designed to provide a modern and innovative tourism product that enables international visitors to make seamless payments while traveling in Cambodia, the news release said.

Speaking at the launching ceremony on Wednesday in Phnom Penh, Cambodian Minister of Tourism Huot Hak said the initiative would provide more convenience to international tourists to make cross-border payments using QR code systems while travelling in Cambodia.

"This service represents another new achievement and a source of pride for the governments of Cambodia and China in advancing digital transformation in tourism, finance and cross-border QR code payment systems under the 'Diamond Cooperation' framework, based on win-win principles and mutual respect," he said.

The minister believed that the initiative would encourage more Chinese tourists to visit Cambodia, injecting fresh momentum into the "Cambodia-China Tourism Year" campaign.

"The initiative will not only promote more efficient cashless payments, but also contribute to modernizing and improving the quality of digital tourism services and making them more diverse to meet the needs of Chinese and international tourists," Hak said.