Indonesia–China Cross-Border QRIS Payment Goes Live — BRICS De-Dollarization Milestone

Bank Indonesia officially launched the Quick Response Code Indonesian Standard (QRIS) cross-border payment service with China on April 30, 2026, enabling Indonesian rupiah–Chinese yuan direct settlement that bypasses the US dollar. The system allows Indonesian travelers to pay via QRIS in China and Chinese visitors to use compatible QR systems in Indonesia, without converting to dollars. During a sandboxing trial from August 2025 onwards, 1.64 million transactions worth approximately Rp 556 billion ($32 million) were completed. The formal rollout involves 16 Indonesian banks and 8 non-banking agencies on the Indonesian side, and 19 Chinese financial institutions (including Alipay, WeChat Pay, and UnionPay) on the Chinese side. Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo stated: 'Now, whether Indonesians go to China or Chinese visitors come to Indonesia, they can use QRIS.' The launch is the latest in Indonesia's BRICS-connected QRIS expansion, following earlier activations with Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Japan. As the newest BRICS member (joined January 2025), Indonesia's payment system alignment with China marks a concrete advance in intra-BRICS financial integration and reduces transaction costs for a trade corridor that recorded 14.39 billion digital transactions in Q1 2026 alone. A grand launch ceremony in Shanghai is planned for June 2026.