**[China-Laos Cross-Border Digital Payment Interconnection Officially Launched]** On September 18, reporters learned from the People's Bank of China that the China-Laos cross-border digital payment interconnection has been officially launched. This marks a phased achievement under the framework of the "Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Cooperation in Financial Innovation, Digital Payments, and Legal Digital Currency," signed by the central banks of China and Laos in June 2026. In terms of barcode payment interconnection, the Cross-Border Settlement Comprehensive Service Platform (CBETS), developed and operated by the International Operations Center for Digital RMB, has completed cross-border system integration with Laos' National Payment Network (LAPNet), enabling cross-border interconnection between the digital RMB and Laos' local barcode payment systems. By the end of 2025, Chinese residents were already able to use their digital RMB wallets to scan and pay at merchant terminals in local commercial banks in Laos. Currently, both sides are jointly advancing functionality upgrades and scenario expansions to further facilitate personnel exchanges and cultural tourism consumption between the two countries. In terms of trade settlement interconnection, some local banks in Laos have already connected to CBETS and launched CBETS' new trade settlement and investment financing service—CBETS LIFT. According to reports, CBETS LIFT integrates various aspects of trade, shipping, logistics, investment, and financing, consolidating dispersed trade information, fund flows, and business documents. It provides an efficient, secure, inclusive, and closed-loop digital RMB trade settlement and investment financing service channel for economic and trade exchanges. (Source: Xinhua News Agency)