#mobile payment china

[luiscagreen]

Advantages Of Mobile Payment Systems For Retailers And Consumers

[amalgamasreal]

So I don't know how people on this app feel about the shit-house that is TikTok but in the US right now the ban they're trying to implement on it is a complete red herring and it needs to be stopped.

They are quite literally trying to implement Patriot Act 2.0 with the RESTRICT Act and using TikTok and China to scare the American public into buying into it wholesale when this shit will change the face of the internet. Here are some excerpts from what the bill would cover on the Infrastructure side:

SEC. 5. Considerations.

(a) Priority information and communications technology areas.—In carrying out sections 3 and 4, the Secretary shall prioritize evaluation of— (1) information and communications technology products or services used by a party to a covered transaction in a sector designated as critical infrastructure in Policy Directive 21 (February 12, 2013; relating to critical infrastructure security and resilience);

(2) software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to telecommunications products and services, including— (A) wireless local area networks;

(B) mobile networks;

(C) satellite payloads;

(D) satellite operations and control;

(E) cable access points;

(F) wireline access points;

(G) core networking systems;

(H) long-, short-, and back-haul networks; or

(I) edge computer platforms;

(3) any software, hardware, or any other product or service integral to data hosting or computing service that uses, processes, or retains, or is expected to use, process, or retain, sensitive personal data with respect to greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including— (A) internet hosting services;

(B) cloud-based or distributed computing and data storage;

(C) machine learning, predictive analytics, and data science products and services, including those involving the provision of services to assist a party utilize, manage, or maintain open-source software;

(D) managed services; and

(E) content delivery services;

(4) internet- or network-enabled sensors, webcams, end-point surveillance or monitoring devices, modems and home networking devices if greater than 1,000,000 units have been sold to persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction;

(5) unmanned vehicles, including drones and other aerials systems, autonomous or semi-autonomous vehicles, or any other product or service integral to the provision, maintenance, or management of such products or services;

(6) software designed or used primarily for connecting with and communicating via the internet that is in use by greater than 1,000,000 persons in the United States at any point during the year period preceding the date on which the covered transaction is referred to the Secretary for review or the Secretary initiates review of the covered transaction, including— (A) desktop applications;

(B) mobile applications;

(C) gaming applications;

(D) payment applications; or

(E) web-based applications; or

(7) information and communications technology products and services integral to— (A) artificial intelligence and machine learning;

(B) quantum key distribution;

(C) quantum communications;

(D) quantum computing;

(E) post-quantum cryptography;

(F) autonomous systems;

(G) advanced robotics;

(H) biotechnology;

(I) synthetic biology;

(J) computational biology; and

(K) e-commerce technology and services, including any electronic techniques for accomplishing business transactions, online retail, internet-enabled logistics, internet-enabled payment technology, and online marketplaces.

(b) Considerations relating to undue and unacceptable risks.—In determining whether a covered transaction poses an undue or unacceptable risk under section 3(a) or 4(a), the Secretary— (1) shall, as the Secretary determines appropriate and in consultation with appropriate agency heads, consider, where available— (A) any removal or exclusion order issued by the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Defense, or the Director of National Intelligence pursuant to recommendations of the Federal Acquisition Security Council pursuant to section 1323 of title 41, United States Code;

(B) any order or license revocation issued by the Federal Communications Commission with respect to a transacting party, or any consent decree imposed by the Federal Trade Commission with respect to a transacting party;

(C) any relevant provision of the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation and the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and the respective supplements to those regulations;

(D) any actual or potential threats to the execution of a national critical function identified by the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency;

(E) the nature, degree, and likelihood of consequence to the public and private sectors of the United States that would occur if vulnerabilities of the information and communications technologies services supply chain were to be exploited; and

(F) any other source of information that the Secretary determines appropriate; and

(2) may consider, where available, any relevant threat assessment or report prepared by the Director of National Intelligence completed or conducted at the request of the Secretary.

Look at that, does that look like it just covers the one app? NO! This would cover EVERYTHING that so much as LOOKS at the internet from the point this bill goes live.

It gets worse though, you wanna see what the penalties are?

(b) Civil penalties.—The Secretary may impose the following civil penalties on a person for each violation by that person of this Act or any regulation, order, direction, mitigation measure, prohibition, or other authorization issued under this Act: (1) A fine of not more than $250,000 or an amount that is twice the value of the transaction that is the basis of the violation with respect to which the penalty is imposed, whichever is greater. (2) Revocation of any mitigation measure or authorization issued under this Act to the person. (c) Criminal penalties.— (1) IN GENERAL.—A person who willfully commits, willfully attempts to commit, or willfully conspires to commit, or aids or abets in the commission of an unlawful act described in subsection (a) shall, upon conviction, be fined not more than $1,000,000, or if a natural person, may be imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both. (2) CIVIL FORFEITURE.— (A) FORFEITURE.— (i) IN GENERAL.—Any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, used or intended to be used, in any manner, to commit or facilitate a violation or attempted violation described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. (ii) PROCEEDS.—Any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, constituting or traceable to the gross proceeds taken, obtained, or retained, in connection with or as a result of a violation or attempted violation described in paragraph (1) shall be subject to forfeiture to the United States. (B) PROCEDURE.—Seizures and forfeitures under this subsection shall be governed by the provisions of chapter 46 of title 18, United States Code, relating to civil forfeitures, except that such duties as are imposed on the Secretary of Treasury under the customs laws described in section 981(d) of title 18, United States Code, shall be performed by such officers, agents, and other persons as may be designated for that purpose by the Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General. (3) CRIMINAL FORFEITURE.— (A) FORFEITURE.—Any person who is convicted under paragraph (1) shall, in addition to any other penalty, forfeit to the United States— (i) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, used or intended to be used, in any manner, to commit or facilitate the violation or attempted violation of paragraph (1); and (ii) any property, real or personal, tangible or intangible, constituting or traceable to the gross proceeds taken, obtained, or retained, in connection with or as a result of the violation. (B) PROCEDURE.—The criminal forfeiture of property under this paragraph, including any seizure and disposition of the property, and any related judicial proceeding, shall be governed by the provisions of section 413 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 853), except subsections (a) and (d) of that section.

You read that right, you could be fined up to A MILLION FUCKING DOLLARS for knowingly violating the restrict act, so all those people telling you to "just use a VPN" to keep using TikTok? Guess what? That falls under the criminal guidelines of this bill and they're giving you some horrible fucking advice.

Also, VPN's as a whole, if this bill passes, will take a goddamn nose dive in this country because they are another thing that will be covered in this bill.

They chose the perfect name for it, RESTRICT, because that's what it's going to do to our freedoms in this so called "land of the free".

Please, if you are a United States citizen of voting age reach out to your legislature and tell them you do not want this to pass and you will vote against them in the next primary if it does. This is a make or break moment for you if you're younger. Do not allow your generation to suffer a second Patriot Act like those of us that unfortunately allowed for the first one to happen.

And if you support this, I can only assume you're delusional or a paid shill, either way I hope you rot in whatever hell you believe in.

[mariacallous]

In April, U.S. President Joe Biden signed into law a trio of emergency supplemental spending bills, including one focused on the Indo-Pacific that is commonly referred to as the Taiwan aid bill. The new legislation seeks in part to address Taiwan’s roughly $19.7 billion backlog of arms sales from the United States—a hot-button issue given China’s increasingly provocative military activities around Taiwan and the perception among some U.S. analysts that Taiwan is not as much of a priority as Washington claims.

Taiwan relies on the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program for most of its U.S. weapons acquisitions, which typically requires manufacturing major weapons systems from scratch. All FMS sales above a certain threshold—$14 million in Taiwan’s case—must be notified to Congress, which can vote to block the sale, though it has never successfully done so. The bureaucratic FMS process is relatively slow by design, and some delay between congressional notification and delivery is to be expected. Yet Taiwan often finds itself waiting longer than other countries for the same U.S. weapons.

In June 2017, for example, Congress received notification of a sale to Taiwan of 56 AGM-154C joint standoff weapons—guided bombs that use onboard wings to glide to their targets. The contract to produce the bomb was awarded this February, nearly seven years after the congressional notification. By the time the bombs are expected to be delivered, in March 2028, it will have taken almost 11 years for Taiwan to receive the weapons that it purchased.

Delays such as this may not seem important in peacetime, but they could become dire in the not-so-distant future. The so-called Davidson window, when the U.S. Defense Department believes that China’s military will be ready to attack Taiwan, begins in 2027. Perhaps no munition will be more critical to Taiwan’s self-defense in this scenario than the anti-ship missile, which Taipei would need in large numbers to attack Chinese warships and civilian vessels that could bring an invasion force ashore. Ground-based anti-ship missiles carried by trucks are particularly valuable for Taiwan given their mobility, which makes it harder for China to target them.

In October 2020, Congress received notification of an FMS case for nearly $2.4 billion to deliver 100 truck-mounted Harpoon launchers and 400 missiles to Taiwan, which was followed by a September 2022 deal worth an estimated $355 million for 60 air-launched Harpoons. But it took two and a half years from the initial notification for Washington to award the first contracts for this work. Taiwan will likely receive these Harpoon missiles in tranches, but the weapons won’t be delivered in full until 2030—well after the Davidson window begins.

It is difficult to pinpoint the root cause of Taiwan’s weapons backlog with available data. Congressional notifications of arms sales are easy to find, but other steps in the FMS process are not consistently made public. Simply knowing the dates of the signed Letter and Offer of Acceptance (LOA), contract award, and the initial and final delivery of a particular FMS purchase would provide a more accurate picture of why delays occur. Any future reforms to the process should include transparency measures to help researchers and policymakers identify the sources of backlogs for FMS recipients.

U.S. bureaucracy alone cannot explain why Taiwan waits so much longer than other countries for the same weapons. It’s possible that Taiwan’s internal process for payment could be gumming up the works. Purchases of foreign military equipment must be approved by Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan before an LOA can be signed, meaning that legislative delays could create a ripple effect when finalizing contracts with U.S. companies.

Stress on the U.S. defense industrial base probably exacerbates the backlog, too. The COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s war in Ukraine shed light on bottlenecks and capacity shortcomings in the industry. This has already played out with Taiwan, which reportedly canceled an FMS case for Paladin self-propelled howitzers in 2022 due to production delays. The problem isn’t going away anytime soon, since many of the munitions in Taiwan’s arms backlog are in high demand from Ukraine and other FMS customers.

However, the recent Taiwan aid bill will make it easier to use the presidential drawdown authority (PDA), which allows Washington to take weapons out of its own military stockpiles and immediately transfer them to a foreign country. Because PDA transfers draw from existing stocks, there is no manufacturing wait time, allowing the United States to deliver more rapid support in times of need.

At first glance, PDA transfers seem to be an attractive option for reducing the size of Taiwan’s backlog. It’s clear that the U.S. government also sees them as such: In late 2022, Congress amended the Foreign Assistance Act to authorize $1 billion per fiscal year for PDA transfers to Taiwan, and the supplemental legislation passed in April allocates $1.9 billion for the Defense Department to replenish any stockpiles of weapons that it sends to Taiwan through PDA for fiscal 2024 and 2025.

But the impact of the new legislation will likely be limited, primarily because PDA does not allow Biden to transfer equipment that the U.S. military does not already have in its stockpiles. The three largest backlogged arms sales by dollar value—all done by the Trump administration and representing $12.4 billion, almost two-thirds of the backlog—consist of equipment that the U.S. military does not possess on hand. The largest of these is for 66 F-16 Block 70/72 aircraft, valued at $8 billion. The U.S. Air Force operates more than 1,000 F-16s, but this fleet does not include the variant that Taiwan purchased.

Similarly, the United States does not have any Harpoon coastal defense systems in its stockpile. When Washington announced in June 2022 that it was sending truck-mounted Harpoons to Ukraine, it did so via the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative instead of PDA because there were no systems available for drawdown. (The United States has also used PDA to aid Ukraine, sending an estimated $23.8 billion of equipment through this method since August 2021.)

Washington might have better luck with Abrams tanks, which make up Taiwan’s third-largest backlogged arms sale at $2 billion. The United States has plenty of Abrams on hand, but the model sold to Taiwan—the M1A2T—has unique subsystems. Taiwan could receive less capable tanks sooner through PDA, but the first tranche of its newly built Abrams tanks are supposed to arrive later this year, so waiting a few more months is probably preferable.

The United States could use PDA transfers to reduce other parts of Taiwan’s arms backlog, but in many instances, Washington would find that its defense industry already has contracts to produce the weapons in question, as is the case for HIMARS rocket artillery launchers, MQ-9B drones, and multiple types of missiles and munitions. If Washington could use PDA to transfer these weapons to Taiwan now instead of waiting for defense industry to finish making new systems, it would raise difficult questions about what happens to those contracts. Would the U.S. military receive the contracted weapons instead of Taiwan? Or would the contracts be canceled?

Theoretically, Taiwan could benefit by double-dipping—getting weapons via PDA transfers in the near term while maintaining contracts to get more of the same weapons in the long term. This would be good for building up its military stockpiles, especially munitions. However, if Taiwan is still waiting for FMS cases to be fulfilled, the size of the arms backlog would not change.

It’s clear that PDA transfers may not be the most effective way to reduce the arms backlog. If deployed smartly, however, they can play a valuable role in moving Taiwan toward an asymmetric defense posture and improving its self-defense capabilities. Asymmetric defense, also known as a so-called porcupine strategy, uses large numbers of smaller, less complex capabilities to counter a stronger opponent. For Taiwan, less costly capabilities such as drones, anti-ship missiles, and surface-to-air missiles could prevent China from achieving the air and sea superiority that it would need to invade the island.

To that end, the United States should emphasize PDA transfers for certain categories of weapons. Taiwan needs more munitions and missiles of all types, but especially ground-based anti-air and anti-ship weapons. It is waiting on several types of missiles, including Patriot interceptors, Harpoons, and Stingers. Munitions are another contender for double-dipping, because Taiwan will inevitably need many reloads, and resupply would be difficult after a conflict begins.

But Taiwan has been hesitant to fully embrace an asymmetric defense strategy, and the balance of the arms backlog favors traditional capabilities. Washington can use PDA transfers to signal the importance of asymmetric defense to Taipei and send relevant capabilities that are not currently sold through the FMS system. Good candidates for such transfers include sea mines; the remote-controlled Navy Marine expeditionary ship interdiction system; and small uncrewed aerial vehicles, such as the RQ-7, RQ-20, and the Switchblade loitering munition.

The PDA funding in the Taiwan aid bill is not a silver bullet for Taiwan’s arms sale woes. Instead of viewing PDA transfers as a tool for reducing the backlog, policymakers should see them as an instrument for building up stockpiles of munitions and pushing Taiwan toward a more effective and sustainable defense strategy. Presidential drawdown authority could be a good Band-Aid for getting weapons to Taiwan, but fixing the long wait times that Taipei faces will require other solutions.

[apas-95]

Sorry, I'm a Canadian who has never had to leave my comfort zone so I'm curious as to like, what the process you had to go through getting to China? You said the first few days you had no money or anything, did you just have to like, find a job and place to stay on the fly or something?

as with most countries, if you're planning on a long-term stay as a foreign national, you'd need to sort out employment or enrollment in study ahead of time. generally you get a contract with a workplace or enroll in a university beforehand, and then that organisation acts as a sponsor of your visa application. certain documents, obtainable only by those organisations, are required to submit the application. as a foreign national you have no legal right to reside, aside from when you have a specific job or study program to carry out. if you hold a citizenship of the country (or, as with, say, the EU, have a right to reside otherwise) then you *can* just show up and wing it.

personally i just had no money since wepay was being a dick about accepting my foreign card, and i hadn't gotten my chinese card yet, and lots of places in china will only take mobile payment

[businessfortune]

"Mobile Payment Systems: The Shift Towards a Cashless Society"

Cash is no longer the "King"! Cashless payments are a result of the complete change in the payment landscape brought about by the digital age.

Credit cards were the first form of cashless payment fintech innovations in the 1990s. The electronic banking system became widely used throughout that same decade. The developments in cashless payments carried on after that.

Well-known brands like Apple Pay and PayPal entered the fintech innovations scene. Plus, nobody likes to carry cash these days. Everyone wishes to gain from cashless transactions. Though cash is still important in many places, the globe is gradually shifting to cashless transactions.

There has been an increase in cashless transactions worldwide, according to the most recent Statista survey. There will be 2297 billion cashless transactions worldwide by 2027. The statistics above demonstrate the exponential rise of cashless transactions.

Mobile Payment Systems: The Shift Towards a Cashless Society

Globally, cashless transactions are growing increasingly typical as card and digital payments spread. Digital payment methods like debit and credit cards, smartphone payment apps, and others are increasingly popular for everyday transactions around the world.

Contactless payments, such as digital wallets and tap-to-pay cards, have become increasingly popular. The COVID-19 pandemic further accelerated this trend due to the perceived safety of contactless payments. Mobile payment systems like Apple Pay and Google Pay have made it even easier to make cashless transactions resulting in an e-commerce growth. Global digital transactions are predicted to reach over $14 trillion by 2027. Scandinavian countries like Sweden and Norway have already reached a cashless point-of-sale transaction rate of over 90%. In Asia, mobile payments are rapidly growing, with China leading the way through services like WeChat Pay and Alipay e-commerce growth. However, cash is still preferred in some regions due to factors like informal economies, limited access to banking services, and mistrust of financial institutions. Overall, more and more people are embracing digital payments for their convenience and expanding possibilities. Efforts are being made by governments and financial organizations to support this shift while considering the needs of all individuals.

What Are Digital Wallets, and How Do They Work?

Due to the pandemic, contactless payments like digital wallets have become very popular. Digital wallets store payment methods for easy purchases using a smartwatch or smartphone. They can also hold coupons, tickets, and cards and allow money transfers to others.

How digital wallets work

Different digital wallets process payments using various technologies:

NFC stands for near-field communication: If two devices are positioned adjacent to one another, this enables information sharing between them. This technology is used by Google Pay and Apple Pay. The retailer needs to have card readers that are compatible with these digital wallets at the point of sale.

MST stands for magnetic secure transmission: Similar to when a credit card is swiped on its magnetic stripe, this produces a magnetic signal. The card reader at the payment terminal receives the signal. NFC and MST technologies are both used by Samsung Pay.

QR codes: You may use the camera on your smartphone to scan these barcodes for secure transactions. For instance, you can create a QR code using the PayPal app that enables you to pay for items in stores using your account.

Some digital wallets, such as the Starbucks app, are "closed," meaning they can only be used at that particular store. In contrast, the digital wallet examples above can be used at any retailer that accepts them.

The Technology Behind Mobile Payments

The manner in which consumers make payments around the world has been drastically changed by mobile payment technologies. The fundamental technologies that make this possible are:

NFC:With this technique, data may be exchanged through secure transactions between two devices that are positioned just a few centimeters apart. NFC facilitates rapid and safe transactions by enabling smartphones and payment terminals to communicate.

QR codes:To start a transaction, customers can use the camera on their smartphone to scan "quick-response" codes. The codes point the user to a website or payment application when they are scanned.

SMS-based transactions:Businesses can use this technique to send text message instructions for payments, which is especially helpful in areas where smartphone adoption is low. A series of text messages, including a confirmation code at the conclusion of the transaction, are used by customers to complete purchases.

Digital wallets:In order to enable customers to make payments using their phones rather than paper cards, digital wallets securely hold credit card information on a mobile device. Transport tickets, vouchers, and loyalty cards can all be kept in digital wallets.

Encryption and tokenization:In mobile payments, sensitive data is encrypted. Further enhancing security is tokenization, which uses a special digital identification (called a "token") to execute payments without disclosing account information.

Biometric verification:Mobile devices frequently come equipped with biometric sensors, like facial recognition or fingerprint scanners, which add an extra degree of security to transactions.

Cloud-based payments:Payment details are kept on cloud servers by certain mobile payment solutions. Payments are accepted from any device, and unified security management is in place.

Host card emulation (HCE):With an NFC-capable device, HCE enables a phone to function as a physical card without depending on access to a secure element, or chip, which holds private information like credit card numbers.

Application programming interfaces (APIs):APIs allow apps to talk to banking systems and other applications, which makes transactions easier.

Thanks to these technologies, consumers can now use their mobile devices for a wide range of payment-related tasks, such as online shopping, paying for goods and services at physical locations, and transferring money between people.

Cryptocurrency Transactions: A New Frontier in Mobile Payments

The number of people who own bitcoin is growing rapidly, with over 400 million worldwide. This has led to an increase in demand for cryptocurrency payment options in everyday life. Starting a cryptocurrency transaction is easy, as users can simply use their mobile crypto wallet app to send payments to vendors. Specialized payment gateways are also available, which allow businesses to accept cryptocurrency and convert it to regular money quickly. By accepting cryptocurrency payments, businesses can reach a larger customer base and increase their revenues. Many companies, including e-commerce stores, gaming platforms, and Forex platforms, are already accepting bitcoin payments. The best part is that bitcoin payments are faster and cheaper than traditional banking methods.

Advantages of Using Mobile Payment Systems

Advantages of widely used Mobile banking:

Reduce expenses by eliminating costly equipment and setup.

Improve cash flow with faster payments.

Easily integrate loyalty programs for repeat purchases.

Gain insights from customer data for personalized strategies.

Increase customer convenience by accepting payments anytime, anywhere.

Stay competitive by offering multiple payment options.

Mobile banking enhances payment security with encrypted codes.

Simplify bookkeeping with collected business information.

These benefits improve the customer experience and make accepting payments on the go easier.

Conclusion:

The future of payments will undoubtedly revolve around preserving the integrity of cash as a viable payment option, while concurrently expanding and enhancing digital payment solutions. Empowering individuals to select their preferred transaction method based on personal circumstances and preferences is of utmost importance. In order to construct an all-encompassing financial system that caters to the requirements of every participant, it is imperative for businesses, policymakers, and financial institutions to establish resilient digital payment systems alongside a sturdy infrastructure for cash.

FAQ:

What are mobile payment systems?

Mobile payment systems allow you to make payments using your smartphone or mobile device, typically through apps or digital wallets like Apple Pay or Google Wallet.

How secure are mobile payment systems?

Mobile payment systems are generally secure, using encryption, tokenization, and biometric authentication to protect your data. However, security also depends on user practices like keeping your device and apps updated.

What are the benefits of using mobile payment systems?

Mobile payment systems offer convenience, speed, and security. They also support contactless payments, track spending, and often integrate with loyalty programs.

How do mobile payments impact global economies?

Mobile payments boost global economies by increasing financial inclusion, speeding up transactions, and supporting digital commerce, especially in emerging markets.

What technologies are driving the growth of mobile payment systems?

Key technologies include Near Field Communication (NFC), QR codes, biometric authentication, and blockchain, all of which enhance security and convenience in mobile payments.

[thran-duils]

Cut Your Teeth (Part Eight)

Title: Cut Your Teeth (Part Eight) Summary: Lord Rogers oversees multiple villages in the country side and is on his yearly rounds of collecting taxes from his constituents. Y/N’s family has recently moved to one of his villages from another part of the country and is eager to please him. Her family’s offering of two goats and a bag of coin pales in comparison to the payment he really wants though as soon as he lays eyes on Y/N. He orders her to return with him and upon being in the municipality capitol, Y/N finds herself faced with a woman her age that sweeps her off her feet, pulling her away from the powerful man that wants her hand in marriage. Fic is 18+! Words: 1,705 Warnings (more may be added): Non-con, homophobia, forced relationship, violence, domestic violence

Part Seven || Masterpost (mobile) || Fic masterpost

(Steve artwork was tagged on pinterest to petite-madame)

Squirrels darted across the cobblestone in the garden as you sat at the table, waiting for the servants to bring out your breakfast. The squirrels eagerness to search for food served as a reminder fall had arrived and they were preparing for the winter ahead. Your book drooped in your grasp, your attention following the scampering instead. You never thought you would be jealous of a squirrel – but they had the freedom to go where they pleased.

Your food was placed in front of you, and you thanked them, closing your book and laying it on the table.

You heard Steve’s voice from inside the house and you sighed, buttering your bread. As his footsteps drew near, you looked up as you took a bite. He was dressed only in his robe – he must not plan to go anywhere today. He had been home for over a couple of weeks, leaving during the day, and returning to bed you at night. Your bruises from the night he came back were almost faded – without resistance following that night, he had not made new marks.

Instead of greeting you with a good morning, he pulled his chair back, commenting, “You’re inviting those rodents to come grab your food by letting them get so close.”

“They aren’t bothering me.”

“You haven’t bled,” Steve changed the subject without bothering to respond to you.

It was true. He had come home what should have been about mid-cycle for you and it was time for your monthly bleeding or should be.

“There’s still time,” you replied, staring down at your bread.

“For your sake, I should hope there’s not,” Steve replied coldly as his food was placed in front of him. His eyes were boring into you.

What pleasant breakfast discussion. You should have gotten up earlier so you would not have to suffer his mood and abrasive comments.

“So for my sake if not… you will allow another man to pay to be in between my thighs?” you asked him indifferently in return, dipping your knife back into the butter. “You would think with the amount that happens here, one might start questioning the men instead of the women for fault.”

Steve’s fist hit the table and you startled at the china rattling, dropping your butter knife adding to the clatter.

“How many times must I remind you to bide your tongue, woman?” he sneered. You bristled at the term ‘woman’ and even more so his condescending tone. But yes, you had forgotten your tongue and let it get away from you once again. “I have no plans to have you lay with another man. Considering I’ve been one used in those circumstances, I do not doubt I have no fault in this. No, this will fall at your feet.” There was a malicious glint in his gaze and you tore your own away, not being able to stand to look at him any longer. “So, if you are smart, you would realize you should hope you have taken my seed and do well with it. If not, well… I may have to get creative in other ways. I will not have a barren wife.”

The hair on your arms stood on end with the chill in that comment. He snorted, picking up his own bread to begin buttering it. Hand shaking, you reached forward to grab yours up off the table. You could not imagine what cruel ends Steve could and would go to if you did not fulfill what he wanted. It almost made you prefer the idea of home. At least there you knew what to expect.

<><><>

Lettie and you sat close, looking out over the viewpoint from the Barnes’ back yard. The water stretched out ahead and the breeze from the surface reached you. Saskia sat at the head of the triangle, working on her needle point. She was focused, happy to stitch a design for her expected child. Hearing Steve’s threat the other week, you were having an easier time understanding how Saskia could reconcile the vile act she had been subjected to with the news of her pregnancy. Being pregnant was the key to the women of the capitol’s safety.

You were working on a painting; hand stitching never having been a skill of yours. You were being careful to not spill the paint on the blanket you were sitting on. Lettie was watching you work out of the corner of her eyes, her hands stilling every time something caught her eye on your canvas. You had not failed to notice that she was stitching lilacs – she had mentioned they were her favorite. Like Saskia, she was a natural at stitching and the different shades of purple were coming together to create a realistic rendition of the sweet smelling flower.

“Lord Parker was asking after you,” Saskia said to Lettie out of the blue breaking the silence.

Your heart skipped a beat, your hand faltering. You swallowed, making sure to not steal a glance at Lettie although you felt her freeze as well. There were only a couple of moments of silence.

“Oh?’ was all Lettie said, nonchalant.

“He seems interested,” Saskia replied, eyeing Lettie with a coy glint.

Lettie cleared her throat and asked evenly, “Isn’t he… young?”

Saskia snorted, “Younger but not too young. You would do well to see if he will pursue further. He is Lord Stark’s ward after all. He’s not a nobody.”

Laying her work at her lap, she made eye contact with Saskia now. “What do you propose I do?”

“Oh, Lettie. You know what to do. Flirt. But not overtly. Catch his attention. Draw him in with your eyes. Be coquettish. You have watched the other ladies. Surely you’ve picked up on how this game works.”

She certainly did. But it had not been tried on a male as far as you knew. She had done well enough to draw you in though. You were feeling jealously beginning to scratch away in the inside at the thought of her flirting with Lord Parker… being courted. And if it led to -- no, you pushed the thought away before you got too lost in a spiral.

“I suppose I have.” Lettie responded. “I’m just… uncertain.”

“Like I said. He’s not a nobody. This could be a fruitful match. And who knows? Once you begin to know him, perhaps there will be a spark.”

You wondered if Saskia had felt that hope when she had been courted by Bucky. And if she had, when that spark would have died when he showed his true nature. Lord Parker being under Lord Stark’s wing led you to believe there was very little change Lettie would ever feel anything for him and vise-versa.

“One can only hope,” Lettie said quietly.

“I will ask Bucky to invite him and Tony out to lunch this week.”

“Would you like company if Lettie is going to be preoccupied with Lord Parker?” you asked trying to keep the desperation out of your tone at wanting to be close by during this exchange.

“Oh, Y/N. I did not mean to leave you out. Of course you and Steve are welcome to come. And yes, I would like someone to talk to rather than staring off into space while Tony and Bucky talk about lords know what while Lettie and Peter get to know each other.”

You forced a small smile, “Wonderful. I look forward to it.”

<><><>

Lettie looked so uncomfortable with Peter hanging off her arm. He had not left her side since she was introduced to the room. You suspected this whole thing had been set up by the two families to get Lettie off their plate. She was a good match but Saskia having a hand maiden for too long would look improper in the capitol’s eyes.

How you wished to be the one on her arm and not him.

He had kept her on the dance floor for the majority of the time and the slight twinge in her expression told you her feet were beginning to ache. Steve had been preoccupying himself with a separate group than the one Tony was socializing with, which meant that she was not left beside you when Peter went to fetch her drinks.

You locked eyes and tried to give her a reassuring smile. The one she gave in return was weak.

“She shouldn’t look so miserable,” Saskia whispered in your ear, startling you. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“It’s okay,” you said, running your hand over your ear nervously. “She is probably just nervous. I don’t believe it is ingratitude for the situation.”

“Nerves or not, we ladies taught her better. And I explained it to her. You explained it to her how important is that she finds favor with him, and this goes through,” Saskia continued. You held your tongue at the comment that you were pushing Lettie towards this. “They will make a lovely match. Think of how lovely their children will be.”

You smiled convincingly and gave a curt nod.

“Perhaps I can get Bucky to invite Peter and her over here…” Saskia said more to herself than anything before turning away from you.

Sighing, you looked to the other side of yourself and gave a slight tug on Steve’s satin sleeve. His eyes slid towards you away from the conversation and you gestured with your glass for him to fetch another. You wanted another to try to distract yourself from the idea of Lettie having children.

“No more wine,” Steve said in hushed tones in your ear. “You’ve had a glass, you should not risk more with the babe. Be happy I let you have the one… soon it will be none when I can officially announce once you are a month past your date. And that is coming up quickly.”

Your hand dropped and you began to turn back away from him but he caught you. He took your goblet and said, “Water will do you well.”

He left and you stood alone.

You shot a look over to Lettie and found her turned away from you as well, Peter’s hand flexing on her back possessively.

~~~

Marvel tags: @coconutqueen21​​​​ @agustdowney​​​​  @biiskuitx​​​​ @buttercupfangirl​​​​ @namjoonwatcheshentai​​​​ @kaylamcd2000​​​​ @damntonystarkandhissmile​​​​ @aditimukul​​​​

Fic tag: @blossom862​

(I removed tags that were no longer working - please let me know if you want to be removed from tags)

[drmajalis]

Every now and then I think about how a game with the plot of Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory could NEVER be made today

I felt like talking about this in light of some recent news in East Asia. TL;DR but Chaos Theory, despite being a game ostensibly inspired by the writings of Tom Clancy, is essentially a political thriller where a rogue American PMC company and Japanese Admiral try to start WWIII, and where China and NORTH KOREA are kind of presented as the good guys in the conflict?! Here's a general plot summary: Japan has just created a new warfare branch, the "Information Self-Defence Force" or ISDF, headed by Admiral Toshiro Otomo. The role of the ISDF is to conduct and intercept electronic warfare, which many in Asia feel is a violation of Japan's post war constitution forbidding them from maintaining a military force capable of striking outside its borders. In response, China and North Korea mobilize a naval blockade in the Yellow Sea to intercept and search all Japanese shipping, so America sends their newest electronics warfare ship, the USS Clarence E. Walsh to the area as a show of force, carrying the NSA's top operative (and player character) Sam Fisher. While on the way, Sam is sent to Peru to rescue kidnapped American computer programmer Bruce Morgenholt, who was part of a two-man United Nations to decipher a cyber warfare weapon called the "Masse Kernels" which were part of a previous game. Sam unfortunately finds Morgenholt dead, and pursues the kidnappers to sea, where he finds they were paid for their services using a Panamanian bank as a proxy. Sam is then sent to Panama, where he finds evidence that the payment was went by the other member of the UN task force, computer programmer Abrahim Zherkezhi (and also steals $50 million in French bearer bonds in the process, best level in the game). Further implicating Zherkezhi is that both New York and Japan are hit with a Masse Kernel attack that shuts off their entire electricity grids,so Sam is sent to his Penthouse in New York to investigate, where he finds out that he has a protection detail from American PMC outfit Displace International, headed by his best friend and former war buddy, Douglas Shetland, who were also supposedly protecting Morgenholt. Reluctantly, Fisher infiltrates the offices of Displace and learns that Zherkezhi was relocated to Hokkaido for his protection, so he is sent there, meeting up with Shetland along the way, and the two watch on the news in the bar that the USS Walsh was just hit and sunk by a North Korean anti-ship missile. North Korean officials, backed by China, claim they did not intentionally fire the missile, and the Secretary of Defence claims that the Walsh's cyber warfare systems were way too advanced to be tracked and hit by a fifty year old Chinese-manufactured missile, but Sam's boss, Irving Lambert, believes that before the attack, the Walsh was hit by a Masse Kernel attack disabling it's defence systems. Fisher is sent to Hokkaido to bring Zherkezhi in for questioning, but as he witnesses a meeting between him and Shetland, the latter reveals his intentions to start a war in Asia before murdering Zherkezhi.

Fisher wants to go after Shetland, but with diplomacy rapidly deteriorating after the sinking of the Walsh, war in Korea seems inevitable, so he is instead sent to the North Korean missile battery that sank the Walsh to find proof of the North Korean claims. Fisher finds evidence of the Masse Kernals being used to force launch the missile, but before the information can be sent, North Korea crosses the DMZ and invades the South.

After a stop in Seoul to gather information from a data routing centre, Fisher learns that Shetland is meeting a third party at a bathhouse in Tokyo, which turns out to be the ISDF, who are revealed to be collaborating with Shetland to start a war. Fisher catches and kills Shetland, and is then sent to the Japanese Ministry of Defence to find out if the Japanese government itself is involved. There, Fisher eavesdrops a meeting between high ranking SDF members and finds out that it was Admiral Otomo acting alone, wishing to use the pretext of a war to restart Japanese Imperialism. The GSDF attempt to apprehend Otomo, but fail, and in retaliation, he uses the Mass Kernels to launch a North Korean missile aimed at Japan, knowing that if it hits, World War III will truly be inevitable.

Fisher stops the attack by destroying the ISDF's servers, and apprehends Otomo as he tries to commit seppuku. Otomo confesses to his actions, North Korea withdraws its forces, Displace and the ISDF are disbanded, and the Chinese Ambassador to the United States wins the noble peace prize for his efforts in trying to mediate peace in Asia. Job finished, game over. So, you can probably see why this would never be made today, right? Anything that even remotely positively portrays China, let alone North Korea in a positive light nowadays would get torn to shreds, not to mention the game makes the taboo of bringing light to how the Japanese government has never really owned up to the crimes they committed during WWII because of Cold War politics, as well as showing how Japan rebuilding its military has created lots of tensions in East Asia.

No other real point to this, I just wish we had more complex stories like this where the stereotypical "good and bad guys" don't automatically fill their roles.

[nedlittle]

Top 5 doomed expeditions

bet you thought this was going to be the franklin expedition huh? well it's not. it's endurance baby!!!!!!!!! genuinely i have to not talk about this one because it makes me so emotional. how the FUCK did those guys survive. one of the questions asked during recruitment was whether you could "shout along with the boys". endurance is destroyed on her maiden voyage she was "a bride of the sea" but we FOUND HER my beautiful wife at the bottom of the weddell sea. shackleton and the lads sail 1300 km of the most dangerous water in the world in an open lifeboat and scale cliffs for five (?) days to find help and they DO and three months after they left, they return to the rest of the crew and nobody has fucking died. every single member of the expedition survived--albeit many after losing toes to frostbite and getting severe scurvy. just this once everybody lives!! also the shenanigans! shackleton told perce blackborrow that stowaways will get eaten first if it comes to that and sweet baby perce blackborrow said "there's more meat on your sir" and then everyone got along :) frank hurley and leonard hussey shoved handfuls of lentils in thomas orde-lees's open mouth when he wouldn't stop snoring. they named the cat mrs. chippy because it was obsessed with the carpenter (called "chippy") and now that cat's grave is decorated and cared for by people over a century later (also thank u mrs chippy for your sacrifice and also for naming MY mrs chippy <3). i have been debating writing an essay about the More Life of it all but especially all of frank hurley's photographs however it would come out as incomprehensible as this. my first month in china i missed my stop on the last metro of the night because i was detailing this expedition to my friends back home and i didn't have my mobile payment set up yet so i had to pay an exorbitant amount of money in cash for a taxi to go one (1) single kilometre

i mean, as tumblr user nedlittle, i am contractually obligated to say cold boy winter 4ever. 177 years ago, 128 men went missing in the arctic circle and as a result i have made friends for life <3. endlessly fascinating as a historical event and a classic example of imperialistic hubris those guys absolutely should not have been up there but they did and now a weird canadian identity has emerged as a result. i remember waking up to news that they found the wrecks and absolutely losing my mind

franklin adjacent doomed australian expeditions! a two-parter! so in 1861, the burke & wills expedition set off with a goal of crossing western australia from south-north and everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. 7 out of the 23 men died (wills perished either on my birthday or canada day) and only one guy made it across the continent and back to melbourne alive. beyond the fact that william john wills was the first cousin of erebus lieutenant h.t.d. "get in the soupp" le vesconte, there are a couple other similarities with franklin's expedition including death by scurvy, the food that they were eating was probably killing them (the early reports of lead poisoning with franklin; burke & wills ate seed bread after their rations ran out but depleted their thiamine levels and likely gave them beriberi because it probably wasn't prepared properly), relief efforts were sent but found little more than graves and bones, burke & wills tried to reach a place called mt. hopeless while the southernmost point any of franklin's men were known to reach was starvation cove on the adelaide peninsula. and THEN in 1874 another australian expedition led by ernest giles attempted to cross the deserts of western australia from east to west (looking at a map, they didn't go a very good job). the expedition was mostly fine except for one dude who straight-up vanished into the desert and was never seen again. that dude? alfred gibson, younger brother of terror steward william "breakup gone wrong" gibson

i didn't know a lot about the belgica before i read madhouse at the end of the world which was fantastic! everyone was having experience psychological terrorism as a result of antarctic isolation meanwhile motherfucker unlimited roald amundsen and scam king frederick cook were having the boys trip of the millennium. 19 men and innumerable rats. gentoo penguins are communists. tfw you almost shoot you doctor because you thought he was a seal

i am not as big of a fan of scott as some of my beloved mutuals but damned if i didn't devour the worst journey in the world. there are passages i think about daily. one time i was shivering really horribly during a migraine and all i could think of was that one passage where cherry talks about shivering so badly he thought his spine would snap. i am currently experiencing Cold and Wind and if i go outside...oh cherry we're really in it now

[ifmfincoachinfo]

Digital Payments In Today’s World

Since the time of the stone age, we have witnessed several changes in all aspects of life forms. The oldest form of commerce, the barter system involved the exchange of goods and services between two or more parties without the use of money.

Later, the currency system emerged where the elites of Lydia and Ionia used stamped silver and gold coins to pay armies.

The Evolution of Money - Barter to Cryptocurrency

Throughout the years, like all life forms, economics and payments have seen a drastic change. From the barter system to the currency system, humankind has successfully adapted innovative technologies.

Today, we are witnessing the era of digital payments. The current payment methods are already a key indicator of our progress. They are powered by cutting-edge technology and boast our current technological advancements. 

In fact, a number of countries like Sweden, Finland, the UK, China and Norway have already moved to a completely cashless society or are on their way to becoming one.

The concept of a cashless society is increasingly becoming popular. Payment methods like UPI, NEFT, Point-of-Sales terminals, and mobile wallets are preferred as they are single-click authentication. 

Digital Payments in India

India has shown the world that they are a real-time digital payment by almost 40 per cent of all transactions. As a matter of fact, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised UPI - Unified Payment Interface and the fintech sector on the occasion of Independence day. 

According to the latest data, India’s digital payment market is expected to rise more than triple to $10 trillion by 2026. At the same time, digital payment methods including UPI transfers and credit card transactions will likely reach saturation point in India by FY27.

However, the cash flow will still be used. Such a transformation of the financial landscape will definitely observe intense involvement for business, society and government. 

Having said that, let's have a look at the benefits and drawbacks of digital payments to understand why countries need to be even more adaptive to such payments soon.

Benefits

Digital payments provide better transparency in the transactions, which reduces the instances of money laundering & theft.

Extremely easy to track all the payments you make accurately and in real-time.

Digital payments can massively reduce the time and cost used to handle & store physical currency. 

Faster transactions, making it easier and more convenient for both the retailer & the customer.

Tradition banking transactions charge some handling fee. However, Online Transactions are usually free, making transactions less costly.

Drawbacks

A potential risk of personal & financial data breach, in case the websites don’t have high-security measures in place.

Digital Payments rely upon internet connectivity heavily. So, when the internet connectivity is not there or the servers are down, it will be challenging for people to make transactions/payments.

Instances of impulsive buying may rise since you have to swipe or click to complete the transaction without needing to check your balance.

Taking all the benefits and drawbacks into consideration, digital payments come as a boon and have made our lives much easier than before.

At the same time, online retailers have a wide variety of security tools, For example - they encrypt data on the systems, Pay Pal’s security has a second authentication factor, SSL certificates, firewalls and regular system scans.

On the consumer end, there’s an option of creating strong passwords, sign up and anti-virus software up-to-date. 

However, many still prefer to be more inclined toward traditional transaction methods. Ultimately, it all comes down to the personal preference of the person making the transaction, whether they want to go digital or stick to cash transactions only. 

The Rise of Ecommerce

For all the reasons outlined above, online transactions are safe and secure. The shift in E-Commerce also played a pivotal role in promoting the use of digital payments, If data is to be estimated, there are around more than 289 million buyers buying things online. At the same time, it is expected to grow at a rate of 9.5% per year. 

The more the use of E-commerce websites the more digital payments. Furthermore, it is also related to the strong accessibility to the internet.

Millennials are raised with internet usage and online shopping. This generation spends more money online than any other age group. Clearly, online payments are clearly the way of the future. But, the only concern that needs to be taken care of is security.

However, all cash is not the solution. So, where are we leading? Is a cashless society the future? Let’s move to the conclusion to know about the changed behaviours and alternate payment options. 

Is a cashless society the future?

Today, technological innovation has made financial transactions seamlessly possible on computers and mobile devices. Now it is taken for granted, going forward.

Clearly, caution should still be exercised. Yet experts in a post-pandemic world say that it is likely that digital payments will become increasingly popular.

At the same time, with our transactions quicker, faster and better, caution should be taken regarding vulnerable people around us.

[worldgirlsportal]

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If you like them then just add them to your 'bookmarks list' for later. When you're ready, send a message or even better, if he/she is online, join the group and call or message by whatsapp to Chinese women. Alternatively, you could always use the 'winks' feature. Discover that one! Don't let this detailed profile thing put you off though. You don't have to complete your whole profile on your first visit. Just do as much as you want and then if you decide to, you can complete the rest later. Definitely one to check out, especially considering it's free to get going with it all!

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List of Chinese girls Mobile Number

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List of Chinese girl Wechat id

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Get Chinese Girls WhatsApp Phone Numbers: https://www.worldgirlsportal.com/list-of/chinese-girls-number/

[mariacallous]

Last week, Elon Musk rebranded Twitter as “X.” New CEO Linda Yaccarino tweeted that X would be “centered in audio, video, messaging, payments/banking,” a step toward Musk’s vision of creating the “everything app” for the Western world. Musk has been focused on this vision for Twitter since before he even bought it, repeatedly praising the Chinese app WeChat in a June 2022 town hall at Twitter. WeChat is known for doing virtually anything an app can do—messaging, audio/video, meetings, translation, social networking, shopping, payments, ride sharing, food delivery, and more. It’s an indispensable app in China, and Musk wants to build X into that app in the United States.

Musk has been laser-focused on his vision of the everything app for longer than most realize. He’s also long been obsessed with the letter X—he named his original online bank X.com, founded SpaceX, and even named his son “X Æ A-12.” His X-ray vision, if you’ll forgive the pun, dates back to his founding of the original X.com. Musk described that firm, which would eventually merge with Confinity to form PayPal, as a “global financial nexus” that could handle bank accounts, mortgages, credit, insurance, stocks—anything and everything financial.

On the face of it, none of this seems unreasonable. Such an app would be one of the most valuable companies in the world if it succeeded. It’s a tall task, but Musk has been involved in the founding of three separate multibillion-dollar companies. WeChat (along with competitors such as AliPay) has proven that such apps can reach scale and be wildly successful. And WeChat was initially built on the back of parent company Tencent’s popular social network, QQ. If it can be done, why not Musk? And why not start with Twitter?

Unfortunately for Musk, his vision of creating a Western WeChat is doomed to failure. Companies like Meta and Alphabet have made attempts before. These companies have every advantage—more cash available than Musk, larger pools of technical talent, better public reputation, and more successful lines of business in the app ecosystem. Nevertheless, none have succeeded in building an everything app. WeChat exists in a very specific Chinese context, and attempts to brute force it in a very different context will crash and burn.

The most important function of an aspiring everything app is payments, which unlock enormous value for the app and convenience for the user. But mobile payments in China are an outlier—87 percent of Chinese people used mobile payments in 2021, almost double the next highest nation. And that outlier status comes from the unique way that China’s payment economy developed.

China’s explosive economic growth over the 2000s saw the country transition from being a mostly unbanked, cash-based economy to a phone-based, app-payment economy without ever having a middle phase of adopting credit cards. As China’s new middle class grew, credit cards were available to a limited upper class—but never became a commonplace part of national financial infrastructure.

What China did have was a lot of cheap smartphones. By the early 2010s, most people there still didn’t have a PC, but they had a mobile phone, and increasingly they were switching to cheap smartphones. But those smartphones were mostly low-end products, with limited processing power and storage space. A high number of bloated apps wasn’t going to cut it for an average user, so many basic functionalities began to cluster inside a small number of super-apps. With the public hungry to abandon cash, apps like WeChat were the natural and widespread solution. Most vendors didn’t have existing relationships with payment companies. But they were happy to jump all the way to taking mobile payments—especially since all they needed to do so was a cheap smartphone, not an expensive terminal. China essentially leapfrogged credit cards all the way to mobile payment.

The United States in 2023 is not in that same position. Americans, for the most part, are not newly middle class and unbanked. Americans love credit cards, have deep experience with them, and use them regularly. And the country is filled with an enormous number of financial firms competing at every level—banking services, credit services, payment apps, stock brokerages, and more. Musk’s X will be entering a far more crowded and competitive market for customers who are already using far better and more developed alternatives.

Competitive is the key word there, because there are many Western companies that would have loved to compete with apps such as WeChat. But China’s government long ago banned nearly every non-Chinese alternative to native Chinese apps in areas including social media, video sharing, messaging, news, search, finance, and more. The list of apps banned in China is so extensive that it’s likely faster to point out the few that aren’t banned.

With so much of the competition absent, it was much easier for Chinese apps to dominate many fields at once as Chinese internet adoption skyrocketed. The Chinese government mostly didn’t pick favorites domestically at first—but it kept out foreign competition and let domestic products thrive. Twitter/X doesn’t live in that same world. The U.S. government won’t protect Musk from competition.

One of the ironies in all this is that the window to develop an everything app may be over in China as well, as the Chinese government’s approach to the tech sector has changed. During China’s boom years, the state often took a laissez-faire approach to tech regulation. The Hu Jintao government and even the early Xi Jinping years saw a booming economy, where tech companies were allowed to grow rapidly and dominate markets as long as they cooperated with censorship, handed over information to the government, and paid off the right people. Analyst XiaoFeng Wang explicitly links this flexible environment with WeChat’s growth, saying, “The more flexible regulatory environment in China at the time gave internet companies like Tencent and Alibaba more room to extend to a wide range of businesses. WeChat benefited from that and grew into a super-app.”

But the Chinese government has grown deeply worried about the power of the super-apps, for both good and bad reasons. Any power that does not reside directly in the party’s hands is distrusted at a time when Xi has demanded total party leadership of everything—and the influence and reach of tech companies has been sharply curtailed in the last few years, wiping billions off their value. Chinese regulators were also genuinely worried about the sheer degree of anti-competitive practices. It had become common, for instance, for firms to block links to their competitors’ products. Breaking down those “walled gardens” has become a major part of regulation since 2021.

Building a super-app would be hard in China today—and even harder in the United States or Europe, with their anti-monopoly legislation and political skepticism toward powerful tech companies. Even if Musk’s X could theoretically succeed, it probably wouldn’t be allowed to do so legally.

Yet paradoxically, while regulators raised eyebrows, elements of the Chinese government also welcomed the opportunities that WeChat and other ubiquitous apps offered. Chinese firms exist at the pleasure of the state and are always subordinate partners to it. WeChat’s parent company, Tencent, is well known for collaboration with the Chinese Communist Party in areas large and small, producing sycophantic patriotic games and engaging in widespread censorship and espionage. Foreign Policy has reported that Tencent was even partially funded by the Ministry of State Security in its early days.

These incidents highlight why an app such asWeChat would be permitted to thrive—because it’s useful to the party. In the James C. Scott sense, WeChat increases the legibility of Chinese society. You can’t control what you can’t see, so make sure you can easily see everything. If all of Chinese daily life is funneled through a single portal, it’s that much easier for the party to observe and control lives. Monitoring a single WeChat account could allow police to see an individual’s travel patterns, spending, and social contacts, which is why many dissidents or activists avoid using the app when possible.

Chinese consumers have become more privacy-conscious about the data they hand over to companies—but are hopeless or unaware of the amount of information the government can get from them. Western companies hoping to emulate WeChat not only don’t have the government on their side, but also face a much tougher and more skeptical audience. And in Musk’s case, who—apart from the most ardent of fans—is going to trust him with their money at this point?

WeChat and its counterparts in China grew up in unique, nonrepeatable circumstances. They faced a massive middle class with plenty of cheap smartphones but no traditional banking or credit cards. They were protected from Western competition by the Chinese government. That same government applied a very light regulatory touch as the companies grew, and also encouraged centralization as a way to maintain greater control.

None of those factors exist in the United States today, and Musk’s dream of building the X app for everything is essentially impossible without them. American consumers already have dozens of easy payment choices through credit cards, debit cards, and existing mobile apps. Musk won’t be protected from competition by the government. Instead, he’ll be treated in a more hostile manner by regulators concerned about privacy, monopoly power, and his general history with flouting the law.

Larger and more important tech firms than Twitter—or, as Musk now insists, X—have tried and failed in this area. Meta owns several social networks and several messaging apps, and has tried expanding into areas like marketplaces, video, payments and more. But most of these experiments have failed to reach any sort of scale, and Meta’s successes have come from disaggregating and breaking things apart rather than bundling them together. Google’s Alphabet parent company has succeeded in a wide variety of areas such as search, video, email, payments, and more. But its attempts to build a social network flamed out spectacularly, and like Meta, their biggest successes have come from separated apps and brands, not a singular everything app.

For all its cultural importance and for all that the chattering class is addicted to it, Twitter’s just never been that large. Meta has nearly 4 billion monthly active users across its family of apps. Twitter/X, even if you believe Musk’s suspiciously cropped data, is a bit more than a 10th of that. Meta and Alphabet are orders of magnitude larger and more important than Twitter/X. If they’ve tried and failed to create the everything app, there’s no reason to believe that Musk can succeed.

Musk’s vision for the original X.com impressed Silicon Valley. By 2000, X.com had merged with Confinity, and Musk took over as CEO of the new company. He focused his vision on the global financial nexus, the proto-everything app, despite investor and board skepticism. He pursued that idea maniacally, to the detriment of PayPal/X’s core product of payment by email. He also insisted on branding the company as “X,” despite PayPal’s strong existing brand.

And in less than a year, he was coup’d out of the company and replaced as CEO by Peter Thiel. PayPal was saved as a company because its board ejected Musk. This time around there’s no board that matters except Elon, and there’s no one to save him from himself.

[cashcountingmachinebybankomat]

The Future of Cash Counting Technology

The future of cash counting technology is poised for significant advancements, driven by the increasing need for efficiency, accuracy, and security in financial transactions. As businesses and financial institutions continue to rely on cash handling, innovations in cash counting machines, including note ginne ki machine, handy counters, and advanced note counting machines, will transform how cash is processed.

Technological Advancements

Smart Features

Modern cash counting machines are integrating smart technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance their functionality. These machines are not only capable of counting cash but also detecting counterfeit notes with greater accuracy. For instance, advanced models utilize multiple detection technologies, including ultraviolet (UV) light and magnetic sensors, to identify fake currency effectively. This capability is crucial in a world where counterfeit production is on the rise.

Automation and Speed

The demand for speed in cash handling processes has led to the development of high-speed note counting machines that can process thousands of notes per minute. These machines are designed for high-volume environments like banks and retail outlets where time is money. The automation of cash counting reduces human error and increases productivity, allowing staff to focus on customer service rather than manual counting.

Market Trends

Growth in Demand

The global market for currency counting machines is expected to grow significantly over the next decade. According to market research, the industry is projected to reach approximately $373.4 million by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.9% from 2023 to 2033. This growth is fueled by the increasing number of financial transactions and the need for efficient cash management solutions in various sectors.

Adoption in Emerging Markets

Emerging economies like India and China are witnessing a surge in the adoption of cash counting technology. The proliferation of retail outlets and banking services in rural areas has created a demand for reliable handy counters that can simplify cash handling processes. As these regions continue to develop, the reliance on efficient cash processing solutions will only increase.

Future Innovations

Integration with Digital Solutions

As digital payments become more prevalent, the future of cash counting technology will likely see integration with digital financial systems. For example, note ginne ki machine could be designed to interface with point-of-sale systems or mobile payment platforms, allowing for seamless transactions that combine both cash and digital currencies.

Enhanced User Experience

User-friendly designs will be a focus for manufacturers looking to attract a broader customer base. Features such as touch screens, intuitive interfaces, and customizable settings will make note counting machines easier to use for all types of businesses. Additionally, portable models will cater to mobile businesses or those with limited space.

Conclusion

The future of cash counting technology is bright, with innovations aimed at improving efficiency, accuracy, and user experience. As businesses adapt to changing consumer behaviors and technological advancements, cash counting machines, including advanced note ginne ki machine and handy counters, will play an essential role in modern financial operations. With ongoing developments in automation and counterfeit detection technologies, these machines will not only streamline cash handling but also enhance security measures across various industries.

[trhtrtt]

Six More! Visa-free"Circle of friends" to spread the strong signal of China's opening up

From March 14, China will pilot visa-free access for passport holders from Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. This is the first month after the entry into force of the agreement between China and Thailand visa-free, China visa-free"Circle of friends" to achieve another expansion.

According to the arrangement, between March 14 and November 30,2024 holders of ordinary passports from six countries, including Switzerland, will travel to China for business, sightseeing, visits to relatives and friends and transit for not more than 15 days, visa-free access. Persons from the above countries who do not meet the visa-free conditions still need to obtain a visa before entering China.

By early March, China had concluded visa waiver agreements covering different passports with 157 countries and simplified visa procedures agreements or arrangements with 44 countries. Including Singapore, the Antigua and Barbuda and Thailand, which have signed visa waiver agreements with China this year, 23 countries have granted full visa exemption to China. In addition, more than 60 countries and regions have granted visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to Chinese citizens.

Leon, a Swiss businessman who runs a geneva-based travel services company, has a number of Chinese partners. He said that with the entry into force of the visa-free status for Switzerland, it will be more convenient to visit friends or discuss cooperation in China. "I'm sure there will be more Swiss like me who want to go to China."

For some time, the Chinese side has continuously introduced a number of visa optimization measures to come to China, including reducing the contents of visa application forms, reducing visa fees in phases, simplifying the procedures for studying in China, waiving some applicants' fingerprints, making visa-free appointments, and piloting visa-free policies for some countries, to further solve the difficulties of foreign personnel to China, blocking points.

During the Spring Festival this year, the number of inbound tourists from China reached 3.23 million, and the number of tourists from France, Germany, Malaysia, Singapore and other countries that can enter China visa-free has increased significantly, total orders for inbound spring festival tours in these countries doubled compared with the same period in 2019.

China has also been offering a series of practical measures to make life easier and more comfortable for foreigners

In order to better meet the diverse demand for payment services, including foreign nationals coming to China, the"Opinions on further optimizing payment services and enhancing payment convenience" was officially released on March 7, it puts forward a series of requirements in improving the environment of bank card acceptance, continuously optimizing the environment of cash use, and improving the convenience of mobile payment.

In addition, the People's Bank of China guides Alipay and Caifutong to optimize the business process and improve the efficiency of card binding While effectively protecting the security of personal information, simplify the authentication arrangements; instruct major payment institutions to increase the limit of single transactions for foreign nationals to use mobile payments from US $1,000 to US $5,000, the annual cumulative trading limit was raised from $10,000 to $50,000.

"Food, housing, travel, travel, shopping, entertainment, medical" and other scenes closely related to people's lives, one by one through the"Last kilometer" small moves, it reflects the consideration of constantly improving international service level and promoting non-governmental exchanges between China and foreign countries.

"The continuous improvement of the convenience of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and living in China caters to the actual needs of Chinese and foreign personnel, and is highly relevant and in line with the trend of integrated world development," said Su Xiaohui, an associate researcher at the China Academy of International Studies, the release of these good news and the acceleration of related work demonstrate once again China's gesture and sincerity in strengthening opening-up and cooperation.

At the just concluded two sessions of the National People's Congress, China announced to the world a series of practical measures to promote high-level opening-up and strengthen international exchanges and cooperation

We will step up efforts to attract foreign investment, promote the implementation of the eight actions for supporting high-quality Belt and Road projects, and make a success of international cooperation platforms such as Expo, Service Trade Fair, Consumer Expo, and Chain Expo. To host a new session of the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation... ... hand in hand, win-win situation, China's cooperation with the rest of the world"Cake" is bound to grow bigger and bigger.

Yang Mingjie, president of the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, said that against the backdrop of a weak global economic recovery and rising instability and uncertainty, the strong signal of opening-up and cooperation conveyed by China has injected more impetus and valuable certainty into the promotion of common development in the world. "China's relationship with the world market will be closer and more colorful."

For days, the international media and scholars expressed their confidence in China's opening-up and development prospects: "China's further opening-up will provide growth opportunities for our global partners, and China's new development will provide new opportunities for the world. This is in line with the strong aspirations of people of all countries for peaceful development.".

Starting from the spring, a vibrant China will write more wonderful stories about its integration with the world and its achievements.

[wealthwit]

The Concept of Money: Its Role and Evolution

Money is a fundamental part of modern life, acting as a medium of exchange that facilitates trade, a store of value that allows individuals to save for the future, and a unit of account that helps in measuring the value of goods and services. It is difficult to imagine a world without money, yet it is important to remember that the use of money is a relatively recent development in the long history of human civilization.

The Origins of Money

In ancient societies, before the invention of money, trade was conducted through barter. Bartering involves the direct exchange of goods and services, but it comes with significant limitations. For example, it requires both parties to want what the other has, a situation called the "double coincidence of wants." If one farmer had grain and wanted shoes, but the shoemaker needed wool instead of grain, trade couldn’t happen easily.

To overcome these limitations, people began to use items of commonly recognized value—like shells, cattle, or precious metals—as early forms of money. These items, while not money in the modern sense, served as intermediaries that made trade easier. Over time, metals such as gold and silver became the most widely accepted forms of money because of their durability, divisibility, and rarity.

The Evolution of Money

As societies grew more complex, carrying around gold or other commodities became impractical. Thus, paper money was developed, first appearing in China during the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). Paper money was a promissory note that could be exchanged for a certain amount of gold or silver, making it a more convenient form of currency.

The next significant step in the evolution of money was the introduction of fiat currency—money that has no intrinsic value but is backed by the government that issues it. Modern economies almost exclusively use fiat money, such as the U.S. dollar or the euro. Fiat currency derives its value not from a physical commodity like gold, but from the trust and stability of the government issuing it.

The Role of Banks and Digital Money

With the rise of banking, money became even more abstract. Instead of holding physical currency, individuals could deposit their money in banks and access it electronically. The digital revolution further transformed the financial landscape with the advent of credit and debit cards, online banking, and mobile payment systems like PayPal, Apple Pay, and cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, represent a new frontier in the evolution of money. Unlike traditional currencies, cryptocurrencies are decentralized and operate on blockchain technology, making them independent of any central authority like a government or bank. While their long-term viability is still debated, cryptocurrencies offer a glimpse into the future of how we might think about and use money.

The Functions of Money

In its most basic form, money serves three key functions:

Medium of Exchange: Money eliminates the need for barter by providing a common item that everyone values, making trade more efficient.

Store of Value: Money allows individuals to save resources for future use. It holds its value over time, although inflation can reduce its purchasing power.

Unit of Account: Money provides a standard measurement of value, making it easier to compare the worth of different goods and services.

Money and the Economy

The availability of money and its circulation in an economy is regulated by central banks. Through monetary policy, central banks can influence interest rates, control inflation, and stabilize the economy. They achieve this by adjusting the supply of money. For instance, during times of economic downturn, a central bank might lower interest rates and inject more money into the economy to encourage borrowing and spending.

Money also plays a critical role in financial markets, where it is used to invest in businesses, buy stocks, and trade commodities. Financial markets help allocate resources efficiently by connecting savers with investors and entrepreneurs.

The Future of Money

The future of money is likely to be shaped by technology. As digital transactions become more common, cash is being used less frequently, particularly in advanced economies. Some countries, like Sweden, are moving toward becoming cashless societies, relying almost entirely on electronic payments.

At the same time, innovations like blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are raising questions about the role of traditional banks and whether centralized monetary systems will remain dominant. Governments are also exploring the possibility of creating their own digital currencies—central bank digital currencies (CBDCs)—which could combine the convenience of digital payments with the stability of traditional currencies.

Conclusion

Money, in its many forms, is a cornerstone of modern economies and human interaction. From the early days of bartering to the digital currencies of today, money has evolved to meet the needs of increasingly complex societies. As technology continues to advance, our understanding and use of money will likely change, but its essential functions—facilitating trade, storing value, and providing a unit of account—will remain as vital as ever.

[mordorintelligencemarketresearch]

Exploring China's E-Commerce Industry: Trends, Challenges, and Future Prospects 

China’s e-commerce industry has transformed into one of the largest and most dynamic markets in the world. With rapid technological advancements, a vast population of online shoppers, and a robust digital infrastructure, the e-commerce sector in China is not just thriving; it's reshaping the global retail landscape. In this blog, we’ll delve into the key aspects of the Chinese e-commerce market, exploring its growth trends, challenges, and future opportunities. 

Overview of the E-Commerce Landscape 

1. Market Size and Growth 

The China e-commerce market is projected to reach USD 1.43 trillion in 2024 and is expected to grow to USD 2.31 trillion by 2029. This represents a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.07% during the forecast period from 2024 to 2029.This growth can be attributed to increased internet penetration, the proliferation of smartphones, and changing consumer behavior towards online shopping. 

2. Major Players 

The Chinese e-commerce landscape is dominated by several key players: 

Alibaba Group: The giant behind platforms like Taobao and Tmall, Alibaba holds a significant market share and continues to innovate with features like livestream shopping. 

JD.com: Known for its commitment to logistics and delivery, JD.com provides a seamless shopping experience and competes aggressively with Alibaba. 

Pinduoduo: This platform has disrupted the market by emphasizing social commerce, allowing users to group-buy products at lower prices, which has resonated well with price-sensitive consumers. 

Douyin (TikTok): Emerging as a significant player in social commerce, Douyin’s integration of e-commerce features within its app has attracted younger consumers looking for a unique shopping experience. 

Key Trends Shaping the Market 

1. Rise of Social Commerce 

Social media platforms have become crucial in shaping consumer behavior. Live-streaming, influencer marketing, and interactive content are now essential components of e-commerce strategies, particularly among younger demographics. Brands are leveraging these platforms to create engaging shopping experiences that blur the lines between entertainment and commerce. 

2. Mobile Shopping 

With over 800 million mobile internet users in China, mobile shopping is a major driver of e-commerce growth. Businesses are optimizing their platforms for mobile, ensuring seamless payment and browsing experiences. The convenience of shopping on mobile apps has made it the preferred method for many consumers. 

3. Cross-Border E-Commerce 

Chinese consumers are increasingly interested in international products, leading to a surge in cross-border e-commerce. Platforms like Tmall Global and JD Worldwide facilitate access to foreign brands, providing consumers with a wide array of choices and enhancing brand reputation. 

4. Sustainability and Ethical Consumption 

As environmental concerns grow, consumers are becoming more conscious of their purchases. Brands that prioritize sustainable practices and ethical sourcing are likely to gain favor among increasingly discerning consumers. 

Challenges Facing the Industry 

1. Regulatory Landscape 

The Chinese government has implemented stricter regulations on e-commerce, particularly concerning consumer protection and data privacy. Companies must navigate this complex regulatory environment to avoid penalties and maintain consumer trust. 

2. Intense Competition 

The competitive landscape is fierce, with established players and new entrants vying for market share. Businesses must continuously innovate and adapt to changing consumer preferences to stay relevant. 

3. Logistics and Supply Chain 

Despite advancements, logistics remain a challenge, particularly in rural areas. Efficient supply chain management is crucial for meeting consumer expectations regarding delivery speed and reliability. 

Future Prospects 

1. Integration of AI and Big Data 

The use of artificial intelligence and big data analytics is expected to further revolutionize the e-commerce landscape. These technologies will enable businesses to personalize shopping experiences, optimize inventory management, and enhance customer service. 

2. Growth of New Retail 

The concept of "New Retail," pioneered by Alibaba, integrates online and offline shopping experiences. As more retailers adopt this model, consumers can expect a seamless blend of digital and physical shopping environments. 

3. Expanding Market Opportunities 

As the Chinese middle class continues to grow, so does the appetite for diverse products and services. Companies that can tap into niche markets, such as health and wellness, luxury goods, and personalized experiences, are likely to find success. 

Conclusion 

The e-commerce industry in China is a testament to the power of innovation and adaptability in a rapidly changing digital landscape. While challenges exist, the prospects for growth and evolution remain robust. Businesses looking to enter or expand in this vibrant market must stay ahead of trends, embrace technology, and understand the unique preferences of Chinese consumers. As the market continues to evolve, those who can effectively navigate this complex environment will reap significant rewards.    For a detailed overview and more insights, you can refer to the full market research report by Mordor Intelligence: https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/china-ecommerce-market