The name game in China

THE Chinese name for Alipay, Alibaba Group’s e-payment platform, is Zhi Fu Bao, which literally means “payment treasure”.

Fifty-six years ago, a baby boy born in the small village of Yinghou in Shangdong province was given exactly the same name. Now that Alipay is a household brand in China, Zhi has recently become an Internet sensation after a copy of his identity card had gone viral on the social media sites.