Expats give us their take on Chinese tech

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Europe

02:11

Cashless payments, e-commerce, rental bikes and automatic translations are all an integral part of modern Chinese life. These innovations have also been adopted by many expats who live in the country, with many telling CGTN that the "made in China" businesses have changed their perceptions of the country.

People from countries like England, the U.S., Ukraine and Brazil spoke to us about the Chinese tech changing their lives in the country.

WeChat and mobile payments

“WeChat is amazing. We don't have this cashless payment (in the U.S.)” says Bobby Ozhylevsky from the U.S.

“America doesn't have (WeChat and phone payments). Ukraine doesn't have at all…I think it would be very difficult to move from China to somewhere else…Because we don't use cash anymore. I don't have a wallet anymore,” Polina Ozhylevska, Bobby's Ukrainian partner added.

Phone payment is universal in China. /VCG Photo

“I find when I was here a few years ago, paying for things on WeChat wasn't that popular. Now you can nearly do everything on WeChat,” says Nicola, a Brit who has lived in Beijing for two years.

“I call to my parents on WeChat. It's great,” says Alex from Ukraine.

Commuting apps

“Things are really different now. These rental bikes, helping a lot of people commute in the city, makes me not need a car anymore,” says Jean Carlo Cury Manfredini from Brazil.

E-commerce

“I love Taobao…Taobao is the best. I buy everything online,” Polina Ozhylevska said. She was excited talking about online shopping, “The delivery is super fast. We buy all the housekeeping things online.”