CHINA plans to have 200 million plastic banking cards issued throughout the country by 2003 under the ambitious 'Golden Card Project' launched last year.
Bank of China information technology department official Zang Suiping said people were being encouraged to use card-based payment instruments which allowed them to 'go anywhere with one card in hand'.
China has so far issued seven million credit cards, mainly through five banks.
The first credit card was issued by the Bank of China in 1985.
The other four banks include the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, the People's Construction Bank of China, the Agricultural Bank of China and the Bank of Communications.
Ms Zhang said the project's trial stage from 1994 to 1996 would see China establish a bank card service management system to be put on trial in 12 cities and districts, with an emphasis on setting up networks and bank card information exchange centres. The centres would be linked to the central bank's national processing centres in those cities.
