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UnionPay's Role at the 2026 Davos Forum

As political and business leaders convene at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue," a pressing question arises: how can we ensure effective and resilient movement of people, goods, and capital amidst growing geopolitical uncertainty?

The International Monetary Fund predicts a slowdown in global economic growth in 2026, as developed nations face structural challenges and emerging markets contend with rising financing costs and friction in cross-border transactions. In this context, payment systems become vital to facilitating international economic activity.

UnionPay, one of the world's largest payment processing organizations, emphasizes cross-border connectivity as a practical starting point for addressing these challenges. The company is innovating to create an open and inclusive international payment ecosystem based on multilateral cooperation, functional compatibility, and shared values. Simultaneously, UnionPay explores ways to responsibly incorporate digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to enhance efficiency, security, and financial accessibility within payments.

To date, UnionPay cards are issued in over 84 countries and regions, with a payment acceptance network spanning 183 countries. Through partnerships with over 2,600 financial institutions and payment system participants worldwide, UnionPay has introduced digital payment products and services tailored to local markets, thus supporting trade and consumer spending across various contexts.

Deng Junfeng, head of China UnionPay and UnionPay International, spoke at one of the World Economic Forum roundtables. The two-decade journey of UnionPay reflects China's broader commitment to economic resilience and further market openness. Despite the complexities of the global environment, UnionPay remains dedicated to its international strategy, fostering high-quality development in the payment sector and strengthening collaboration mechanisms based on equality, mutual benefit, and shared growth.

Practical Connectivity: Pioneering the New Four-Party Model

Scaling cross-border payments requires not only technical integration but also sustainable and replicable cooperation models. Recently, UnionPay developed the "New Four-Party Model" designed for the era of digital payments. This model adapts the traditional four-party payment architecture by encouraging both network-to-network (N2N) and government-to-government (G2G) interactions.

The model expands the ecosystem participants on both sides, including digital wallet manufacturers and mobile device providers on the account side, as well as payment service providers, payment aggregators, and SaaS platforms on the acceptance side. By fostering bilateral and multilateral cooperation, the model aims to integrate high-quality resources, reduce costs associated with cross-border transactions, and accelerate network expansion.

UnionPay has been implementing this approach in Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America, key developing markets that benefit from enhanced functional compatibility between cross-border payment networks based on QR code systems. Importantly, this model does not seek to replace local payment systems; rather, it operates within existing regulatory frameworks to encourage mutual recognition of standards and the coordinated development of networks, while supporting local initiatives aimed at improving payment infrastructure.

As a result, tens of millions of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises worldwide are connecting to UnionPay's inclusive global network, gaining expanded access to international consumers and cross-border business opportunities.

Responsible AI Implementation in Payment Systems

Artificial intelligence emerged as a focal point in Davos, due to its transformative potential for economic structures and growth models. Within the payment sector—known for its stringent security and compliance requirements—the challenge lies in applying innovations while effectively managing risks.

UnionPay positions itself as a leading practitioner of AI application in the financial sector, viewing AI as a new growth catalyst for productivity and a tool for the intelligent modernization of payment systems. Instead of focusing solely on isolated application scenarios, the company adopts a cooperative approach, collaborating with tech companies, research institutions, and universities to create a shared ecosystem of AI applications that enable high-quality, sustainable integration of AI into financial scenarios.

In the realm of payment security, UnionPay has developed an intelligent risk management system that significantly enhances operational efficiency in transaction protection. AI-driven risk assessment rules now achieve a precision of 85%. Regarding agent-oriented payment solutions, UnionPay is an industry pioneer with its MCP Agent Payment Service, which allows users to navigate the entire payment process through conversational interactions.

Against the backdrop of China's visa-free entry policy expansion, UnionPay has also implemented AI-oriented services for inbound foreign visitors. Through the universal digital platform, the "Nihao China" app launched in December 2025, AI is utilized for navigating payment services, multilingual translations, route planning, and daily life recommendations, providing a seamless experience for international travelers.

From Dialogue to Cooperation: Realizing Long-Term Value in Cross-Border Payments

UnionPay's practical approach embodies the spirit of dialogue emphasized in Davos. By collaborating with local payment systems across diverse markets, UnionPay does not seek to impose a singular model or standard; instead, it seeks common ground amid diversity, creatively shaping a more open and inclusive global payment ecosystem.

By enhancing the efficiency of cross-border payments and reducing transaction costs, UnionPay supports regional economic circulation and encourages broader participation from small and medium players, especially in emerging markets. This win-win collaboration strategy aligns perfectly with the values repeatedly emphasized by the World Economic Forum in times of uncertainty.

Moving forward, UnionPay will continue leveraging connectivity to deepen multilateral collaboration and contribute to building a more open, inclusive, and sustainable international payment ecosystem, in line with its vision of "Trusted Ties, Shared Success."