bodyType

customContents

entityId

printArticlePageQuery

filter

article

body

urlAlias

articleSectionsContent

articleSeoArticle

articleSourceHeaderArticle

contentSchemaRenderContent

contentSubHeadlineContent

contentHeadlineContent

mainImagePrintArticleArticle

authorBlockPrintArticleArticle

contentSponsorTagContent

articlePianoPaywallContent

scmpYoutubeContent

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

query printArticlePageQuery(
  $entityId: String!
  $customContents: [CustomContentInput]
  $bodyType: BodyFormatTypeEnum
) {
  article(filter: {entityId: $entityId}) {
    entityId
    body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
      json
    }
    urlAlias
    ...articleSectionsContent
    ...articleSeoArticle_3o8td4
    ...articleSourceHeaderArticle
    ...contentSchemaRenderContent
    ...contentSubHeadlineContent
    ...contentHeadlineContent
    ...mainImagePrintArticleArticle
    ...authorBlockPrintArticleArticle
    ...contentSponsorTagContent
    ...articlePianoPaywallContent
    ...scmpYoutubeContent
    ...hooksTrackPageViewArticle
    id
  }
}

fragment articlePianoPaywallContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksPaywallPromiseContent
}

fragment articleSectionsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      ...helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection
      ...entityLink
      name
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment articleSeoArticle_3o8td4 on Article {
  ...hooksArticleSeoArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersGetArticleTypeArticle
  entityId
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
  summary {
    text
  }
  subHeadline {
    text
  }
  body(customContents: $customContents, type: $bodyType) {
    text
  }
  keywords
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  topics {
    name
    entityId
    id
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  images {
    style(filter: {style: "768x768"}) {
      url
    }
  }
  readingTime
}

fragment articleSourceHeaderArticle on Article {
  urlAlias
  ...entityLink
}

fragment authorBlockPrintArticleArticle on Article {
  ...defaultArticleDateContent
  ...authorNamesArticle
}

fragment authorNameAuthor on Author {
  ...entityLink
  name
  entityUuid
}

fragment authorNamesArticle on Article {
  authorLocations
  authors {
    entityId
    location
    ...authorNameAuthor
    id
  }
}

fragment blockquoteQuoteContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment contentHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  socialHeadline
  ...contentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
}

fragment contentNewsletterWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
    id
  }
  sections {
    value {
      relatedNewsletters {
        ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
        id
      }
      id
    }
  }
  ... on Article {
    relatedNewsletters {
      ...helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment contentSchemaRenderContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...blockquoteQuoteContent
  ...imageContent
  ...inlineWidgetContent
  ...photoGalleryWidgetContent
  ...scmpYoutubeContent
}

fragment contentShareWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  shortUrl
  socialHeadline
  headline
}

fragment contentSponsorTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersUseContentSponsorContent
}

fragment contentSubHeadlineContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  subHeadline {
    json
  }
  summary {
    json
  }
  ...contentSchemaRenderContent
}

fragment defaultArticleDateContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...hooksArticleDateUtilsContent
}

fragment entityLink on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  __typename
  entityId
  entityUuid
  urlAlias
  urlRedirect {
    toUrl
    id
  }
  application {
    entityId
    id
  }
  ... on Section {
    fullSectionPath {
      entityId
      id
    }
    parentSection
  }
  ...helpersAppBarVariantBase
  ...helpersApplicationBase
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersAppBarVariantBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsLiveArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...helpersSectionContent
  ...helpersStyleSectionContent
}

fragment helpersApplicationBase on BaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias {
  __isBaseWithApplicationAndUrlAlias: __typename
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesPage
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusPage
}

fragment helpersCheckIfNewsSectionInFirstIndexSection on Section {
  name
}

fragment helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle on Article {
  entityId
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  disableOffPlatformContent
  sponsorType
  published
  ...helpersCheckIsPlusArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment helpersCheckIsLiveArticle on Article {
  flattenTypeIds
  liveArticle {
    status
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    paywallTypes {
      entityUuid
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPlusPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle on Article {
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersCheckIsPostiesPage on Page {
  urlAlias
}

fragment helpersCheckIsStyleArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  sections {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersGetArticleTypeArticle on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        entityId
        id
      }
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersMassageToNewsletterItemNewsletter on Newsletter {
  entityId
  name
  alternativeName
  description {
    text
  }
  summary {
    text
  }
  homepageDescription {
    text
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle on Article {
  authors {
    types
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle on Article {
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersStyleSectionContent on Section {
  fullSectionPath {
    entityId
    id
  }
}

fragment helpersUseContentSponsorContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  topics {
    entityId
    sponsor {
      ...sponsorTagSponsor
      name
      type
      id
    }
    id
  }
  ... on Article {
    sponsorType
  }
  ...helpersCheckIsMainTopicContent
}

fragment hooksArticleDateUtilsContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  createdDate
  publishedDate
  updatedDate
}

fragment hooksArticleSeoArticle on Article {
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsPostMagazineArticle
  ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  ...hooksContentHeadlineTagContent
  ...helpersCheckIsAmpEnabledArticle
  entityId
  headline
  socialHeadline
  types {
    value {
      entityId
      id
    }
  }
  authors {
    entityId
    id
  }
  images {
    generic_og: style(filter: {style: "og_image_scmp_generic"}) {
      url
    }
    styles(filter: {styles: ["og_image_posties_article", "og_postmag", "og_image_style", "og_image_scmp_analysis", "og_image_scmp_explainer", "og_image_scmp_editorial", "og_image_scmp_fact_check", "og_image_scmp_debate", "og_image_scmp_live", "og_image_scmp_obituary", "og_image_scmp_opinion", "og_image_scmp_review", "og_image_scmp_series", "og_image_scmp_generic"]}) {
      url
      style
    }
    type
  }
  urlAlias
}

fragment hooksContentHeadlineTagContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ... on Article {
    types {
      value {
        name
        entityId
        description {
          text
        }
        id
      }
    }
    ...helpersCheckIsStyleArticle
  }
  flag
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  ...hooksContentHelperContent
}

fragment hooksContentHelperContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...helpersSanitizeArticleTypeEntityIdsArticle
  ...helpersSanitizeAuthorTypesArticle
  ...helpersSanitizedAuthorEntityIdsArticle
  flag
}

fragment hooksPaywallPromiseContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  ...helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle
}

fragment hooksTrackPageViewArticle on Article {
  entityId
  publishedDate
  headline
  sections {
    value {
      name
      id
    }
  }
  urlAlias
  authors {
    name
    id
  }
  entityUuid
}

fragment imageContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  headline
  ...checkersCheckContentContainsStarlingImageContent
}

fragment inlineWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...contentNewsletterWidgetContent
}

fragment mainImagePrintArticleArticle on Article {
  images {
    title
    url
    isSlideshow
    size_652x446: style(filter: {style: "652x446"}) {
      url
    }
  }
}

fragment photoGalleryDialogContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  __typename
  ...contentShareWidgetContent
}

fragment photoGalleryWidgetContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  ...photoGalleryDialogContent
}

fragment scmpYoutubeContent on Content {
  __isContent: __typename
  entityId
  urlAlias
  publishedDate
}

fragment sponsorTagSponsor on Sponsor {
  name
  type
  images {
    url
  }
}


sections

types

disableOffPlatformContent

sponsorType

published

headline

socialHeadline

authors

images

publishedDate

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

keywords

topics

readingTime

authorLocations

entityUuid

Coco Feng

Che Pan

China’s digital yuan wallet app has become one of the country’s most downloaded apps within just a week of launching, a development that could disrupt a consumer payment market dominated by Alipay and WeChat Pay.
Downloads of the e-CNY app, which currently operates in select cities, exceeded those of WeChat, the super app from Tencent Holdings with its own mobile payment function, to become the most popular app on Apple’s iOS on Wednesday, a day after landing in app stores, according to market researcher App Annie. It retained the top spot through Saturday before falling to second place behind Kuaishou.
By Monday, the app was the second most downloaded financial app in Xiaomi’s app store, after topping the list last Wednesday, according to market researcher Qimai. However, it ranked just 43rd in Huawei’s store on Monday, 10 spots higher than the previous day. Both stores are popular options for Android users in mainland China, where Google Play is blocked.
Official digital yuan app now open to more Chinese users
The e-CNY app’s popularity could be a positive sign for efforts from the People’s Bank of China to promote its central bank digital currency (CBDC), officially called the Digital Currency and Electronic Payment (DCEP), ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics next month.
The central bank’s Digital Currency Research Institute, which developed the app, has been studying the implementation of a digital yuan for years. Trials of the digital yuan started in 2020, and the institute has partnered with local authorities to hand out e-yuan red packets to citizens in ten pilot cities, including Shanghai, Shenzhen, Xiongan, Chengdu, Suzhou and Winter Olympics venues in Beijing.
While the app is broadly available for download, it is currently only usable in designated cities.
The payment turnover and user base of the digital yuan is still tiny compared with the mobile payment titans WeChat Pay and Alipay, which is owned by Ant Group, the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning Post. Together, the two entrenched tech giants make up 90 per cent of China’s mobile payments market.
Red packets, a digital version of a traditional holiday gift in the form of an envelope of cash, along with other incentives have so far helped drive interest in trying out the new app.

Chengdu resident Robin Deng said he downloaded the app last year and has been using it frequently since October to get discounts on public transport and shared bikes from Meituan.
“I get 50 per cent off when using digital yuan to take the subway,” he said. “Paying with e-CNY is similar to WeChat Pay and Alipay.”
Beijing resident Lily Zhang tried it last September at the China International Fair for Trade in Services, where she used the digital currency to buy drinks and an ice-cream.
“It was very convenient, as one can use it even without an internet connection,” Zhang said. If it were accepted widely across Beijing, she added, she would use it more because “it is relatively safe”.
However, Alipay and WeChat Pay both allow users to pay while offline, and most mobile users in China already have these apps. That could make it hard for e-CNY to maintain momentum when the discounts and other incentives dry up.
China woos new digital yuan users in major push
Howard Qian, another Chengdu resident, removed the app from his phone days ago over lack of use. “The money I topped up in the e-CNY wallet won’t turn out any deposit interest,” he said. “I’d rather store it in the money market funds in WeChat or Alipay.”
Qian added that he would only use the e-CNY app again if he could keep getting subsidies.
May Lu, a resident of Beijing, said she was not impressed by e-CNY and that installing another payment app on her phone felt unnecessary.
“I don’t think e-yuan offers huge advantages to users currently, especially for those in the big cities where third-party e-payment services are ubiquitous,” said Wang Leilei, an analyst at Shanghai-based financial industry consultancy Kapronasia. “In the lower-tier markets in small cities … it might stand a chance.”


While conducting research and development of a CBDC, the Chinese government has also become increasingly hostile towards cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. Last year, it ramped up a crackdown on bitcoin mining, pushing most activity out of the country, and issued a blanket ban on cryptocurrency exchanges.
The government has stated that the digital yuan is designed to replace coins and notes in circulation, but the push to digitise cash has also fanned concerns of enhanced state surveillance on transactions.
The digital yuan is not just limited to the e-CNY app. It can be used across many mobile payment apps in China, including Alipay, WeChat Pay and the apps of seven Chinese banks – the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank, Bank of China, Bank of Communications, Postal Savings Bank of China and China Merchants Bank.
Chinese cryptocurrency investors not pulling out despite exchange exodus
About 140 million Chinese residents had opened a digital yuan account as of October 2021, with accumulated transactions reaching 62 billion yuan (US$9.7 billion) since launch, Mu Changchun, head of the Digital Currency Research Institute, said in November.
China’s strengthened efforts to promote DCEP come just weeks before the Lunar New Year, a week-long holiday in mainland China that begins on February 1 and is a popular time for gifting red packets. It also comes just ahead of the Winter Olympics, which kicks off on February 4.
China has yet to announce a formal timetable for the nationwide launch of the DCEP, but the central bank has said that foreign visitors to the Olympics will be able to use the digital yuan without a Chinese bank account.


China’s digital yuan: e-CNY wallet tops download charts in Apple and Xiaomi app stores ahead of Lunar New Year

A Suzhou resident uses the e-CNY smartphone app during a trial on December 14, 2020. Photo: Kyodo

Signage for the digital yuan, or e-CNY, next to a self checkout kiosks inside Wumei Technology Group’s Wumart supermarket in Beijing on June 3, 2021. Photo: Bloomberg

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The e-CNY wallet was the most downloaded app after launching last week, but the roll-out remains limited to select cities
While the digital yuan can be used on mobile payment apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay, the dedicated app has maintained momentum with discounts and red packets



The e-CNY wallet was the most downloaded app after launching last week, but the roll-out remains limited and the app could face challenges when discounts are no longer offered.


China’s digital yuan: e-CNY wallet tops download charts in Apple and Xiaomi app stores ahead of Lunar New Year

The e-CNY wallet was the most downloaded app after launching last week, but the roll-out remains limited to select cities While the digital yuan can be used on mobile payment apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay, the dedicated app has maintained momentum with discounts and red packets

The e-CNY wallet was the most downloaded app after launching last week, but the roll-out remains limited to select cities

While the digital yuan can be used on mobile payment apps like Alipay and WeChat Pay, the dedicated app has maintained momentum with discounts and red packets