China's Alibaba finance arm, Xiaomi partner in wearable payments

A FIRST: Xiaomi and Ant Financial, an Alibaba affiliate which includes China's most popular online payment service Alipay, will enable the Alipay Wallet mobile app to link with Xiaomi's Mi Band smart fitness bracelet.

BEIJING: Alibaba Group Holding Ltd's finance arm and smartphone maker Xiaomi Inc said they will jointly develop mobile payment systems using wearable technology, a first for China's major tech firms. 

Xiaomi and Ant Financial, an Alibaba affiliate which includes China's most popular online payment service Alipay, will enable the Alipay Wallet mobile app to link with Xiaomi's Mi Band smart fitness bracelet. That will let users smooth the process of making payments, bypassing the need for passwords.