China cashing out as mobile payment soars

This photo taken on June 27, 2017 shows a man making purchases through his smartphone at a seafood booth at a market in Beijing.-AFP

Beijing (AFP) - Yang Qianqian holds out her smartphone to scan a barcode on the mobile of a vendor selling fresh fruit and vegetables at a bustling outdoor market in Beijing.

The dance student is part of an explosion in the use of mobile payment platforms in China as consumers increasingly take out phones instead of cash to pay for everything from a coffee to a language class or a gas bill.