UnionPay Launches Global Summer Campaign with Exclusive Travel Offers
SHANGHAI, July 18, 2025 /CNW/ -- UnionPay International has officially launched its 2025 Global Summer Campaign, rolling out exclusive offers for international travelers as the global holiday season peaks. UnionPay cardholders can enjoy a wide range of summer privileges across more than 100,000 partner merchants in 25 popular destinations. Benefits include merchant discounts, favorable exchange rates, and bank-backed cashback, all of which are designed to enhance the shopping, dining, and travel experiences for global users. (https://www.unionpayintl.com/cardholderServ/serviceCenter/merchant?language=en)
"Summer is when joyful memories are made, and we want UnionPay to be part of them," said Zhuang Bei, vice president of UnionPay International. "Whether you're shopping in Paris, dining in Tokyo, or exploring a theme park with family in Singapore, our global summer campaign makes every experience more affordable, smoother, and more memorable."
This year's campaign reflects the strong rebound in global travel, with destinations across Asia and Europe seeing significant surges in popularity. Bookings to countries such as Japan, South Korea, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom have notably increased. In response, UnionPay has expanded its global merchant network, collaborating with retailers in 35 international airports and 60 major shopping districts to offer cardholders exclusive summer privileges.
UnionPay has also partnered with the world's top duty-free groups, leading department stores, and outlet malls to offer exclusive discounts on global brands. Cardholders can also enjoy savings at over 3,500 local dining spots, cafés, and seafood markets, with instant deals available through platforms like Dianping and Uber Eats.
For family travelers during the school holidays, UnionPay has introduced themed offers in collaboration with eight world-renowned attractions. At locations such as Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore and the Royal Caribbean Spectrum of the Seas cruise ship, UnionPay users can receive cashback or instant discounts when spending meets specified thresholds.
Flight and transportation perks are also part of the campaign. UnionPay cardholders can enjoy exclusive offers when booking with international airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Turkish Airlines, and Air China. Travelers can also access UnionPay discounts when topping up transit cards in Japan and Hong Kong SAR, or when making payments with J-Coin Pay in Japan and ZeroPay in Korea, with discounts of up to 10% available.
In addition to boost global retail by delivering travel savings, UnionPay continues to provide favorable exchange rates to Chinese travelers across over 30 destinations, including Southeast Asia, Japan, South Korea, Europe, and the Middle East. Cardholders who enroll through the UnionPay App and meet spending thresholds are eligible for upgraded rates. Meanwhile, 16 partner banks in Chinese Mainland, including ICBC, ABC, BOC, CCB and CMB, are offering up to 12% UnionPay card cashback on cross-border transactions, driving foot traffic for global merchants. For inbound China, more than 40 international banks issue UnionPay SplendorPlus Card, tailoring exclusive cashback and promotions for spending within the tour in China.
Now accepted in 183 countries and regions, with more than 73 million online and offline merchants and 1.7 million ATMs worldwide, UnionPay is strengthening its position as a preferred cross-border payment solution. With this global summer campaign, UnionPay International continues to deliver value, convenience, and reliability to travelers at every step of their journey.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Canada News.Net
an hour ago
- Canada News.Net
Heres why the EU keeps losing to China
The summit Brussels-Beijing economic summit spotlighted the blocs mounting strategic confusion and accelerating drift toward isolation The China-EU summit held in Beijing late last month could have been a celebration of 50 years of diplomatic relations between two of the world's largest economic powers. Instead, it served as a sobering reminder of the EU's growing strategic confusion, and its inability to capitalize on the immense opportunities offered by cooperation with China. The summit came at a sensitive moment in global politics. What was once hailed as a mutually beneficial partnership has now become entangled in geopolitics, internal divisions within the EU, and the enduring shadow of Washington's influence. The global turbulence of recent years - the pandemic, and the war in Ukraine - has not only strained relations but also reinforced the EU's dependence on the United States. Rather than renewing a partnership that once stood as a pillar of global economic integration, the EU leaders arrived in Beijing with a familiar agenda: accusations over trade practices, warnings about "security threats," and renewed calls for China to "rein in" Russia. Predictably, no breakthrough was achieved. The deterioration of China-EU relations cannot be understood without revisiting the European Commission's strategic shift in 2019. Under Ursula von der Leyen, Brussels officially categorized China as not just a partner but also a "systemic rival" - a move that introduced suspicion into virtually every area of engagement. Since then, an ideological lens has increasingly shaped EU policy, replacing the pragmatism that once underpinned economic cooperation. The consequences have been stark. Brussels has launched measures to restrict Chinese investment, imposed high tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles, and - most recently - barred Chinese firms from public tenders worth over €5 million. Further escalation came when the EU included two Chinese banks in its latest sanctions package against Russia, signaling that Europe is willing to weaponize economic tools for political purposes. These steps are justified by the EU as "de-risking." By pushing for reduced interdependence in strategic sectors - raw materials, high-tech supply chains, and digital infrastructure - Brussels has aligned itself with Washington's containment playbook, even as European leaders publicly insist on independence. In Beijing, von der Leyen struck a conciliatory tone, declaring the EU's openness to Chinese investment and cooperation. But such statements ring hollow when juxtaposed with her recent warnings at the G7 summit about a looming "China shock" and accusations of Beijing "weaponizing trade." Similarly, the head of EU diplomacy, Kaja Kallas - also present in Beijing - has accused China of fueling the war in Ukraine and waging hybrid operations against Europe. These mixed signals undermine credibility and reinforce perceptions in Beijing that the EU lacks a coherent, autonomous China strategy. More fundamentally, Brussels' approach is internally contradictory. The EU dreams of "strategic autonomy," yet ties its foreign policy to transatlantic priorities. It seeks economic resilience, yet undermines its own competitiveness by disrupting supply chains and limiting market access. It aspires to global leadership, yet isolates itself from the rest of the world by clinging to zero-sum geopolitics. By contrast, China's position at the summit was clear: focus on complementarity, promote free trade, and pursue win-win cooperation in areas that matter for global stability - digital transformation, green development, and infrastructure connectivity. Beijing emphasized its willingness to deepen exchanges in artificial intelligence, clean energy, and scientific research, seeing these sectors as essential to both sides' modernization. For China, the EU remains a strategic partner, not an adversary. Beijing has long supported European integration and consistently encourages the EU to play an independent role in global affairs. From China's perspective, a strong, autonomous Europe is a counterweight to unilateralism and an anchor of multipolarity. This vision aligns with Europe's own interests - but diverges sharply from Washington's preference for a subordinate EU within the transatlantic alliance. From Beijing's perspective, the EU's current challenges - economic slowdown, energy insecurity, and geopolitical vulnerability - are not caused by China. Rather, they stem from internal divisions and policy choices that tether Europe to US strategies. China fears that Europe's drift into a hardline camp could destabilize the international order, a scenario contrary to Beijing's vision of stability and connectivity across Eurasia. The single most contentious issue remains the war in Ukraine. Brussels insists that China's ties with Moscow "destabilize" Europe, while Beijing argues that it is maintaining an independent and neutral position aimed at facilitating a peaceful settlement. EU leaders, however, continue to press China to "use its influence" to end Russia's military operations - effectively asking Beijing to abandon a key strategic partnership. This is neither realistic nor conducive to diplomacy. For now, this geopolitical deadlock overshadows other areas of potential cooperation. So long as the EU views the Ukraine conflict through an existential lens - and equates neutrality with complicity - China-EU relations will remain constrained, regardless of shared economic interests. Despite political frictions, economic ties remain robust. The EU is China's largest trading partner, and China ranks second for the EU. Together, they account for over one-third of global GDP and nearly 30% of global trade in goods and services. Chinese investment in Europe has surpassed $100 billion, and annual flows are roughly balanced with EU investment in China. These numbers underscore a basic truth: the China-EU relationship is too significant to be defined by ideological posturing. Global supply chains, green technology cooperation, and digital innovation cannot advance without mutual engagement. The question is whether Brussels will recognize this before further damage is done. The EU portrays its current trajectory as "rebalancing" and "de-risking." In reality, these policies risk strategic isolation. By securitizing economic ties and subordinating its diplomacy to US priorities in relation to China, the EU undermines its own competitiveness and alienates partners across the globe. The result is an inward-looking bloc that struggles to influence global norms as it dreams of geopolitical power. For China, the lesson is clear: The EU is not ready for a genuine reset. Beijing will continue to engage constructively but will not expect rapid progress. In the long run, the revival of a balanced partnership may depend on a political shift within Europe - a leadership willing to replace ideological rigidity with pragmatic cooperation. The Beijing summit, rather than rekindling optimism, has confirmed the structural divergence between China and the EU. However, it also highlighted what remains at stake: two economic giants whose cooperation - or confrontation - will shape global stability for decades to come. China stands ready to pursue a future based on multilateralism, open trade, and shared development. Whether the EU can free itself from delusions and anxieties and rediscover the value of partnership with Beijing remains an open question. Until then, the EU's fixation on "de-risking" may turn into what it fears most: self-inflicted decline.


Canada News.Net
7 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Slow US demand drags Starbucks despite optimism over revamp
SEATTLE, Washington: Starbucks expressed confidence this week that a combination of streamlined store operations and new menu offerings—such as a cold foam protein drink—will soon help revive its struggling U.S. business. However, lackluster demand in its home market continues to weigh down overall performance. In its fiscal third quarter (April–June), Starbucks reported a four percent year-over-year revenue increase to US$9.5 billion, surpassing Wall Street's forecast of $9.3 billion, according to FactSet. Despite this, the company's same-store sales, which measure performance at locations open at least a year, fell two percent, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of decline in the U.S. The drop was worse than analysts had expected. U.S. customers are spending more per visit, but making fewer trips, with transactions down 4 percent in the quarter. Meanwhile, Starbucks saw growth in China, its second-largest market, where same-store sales rose. CEO Laxman Narasimhan (not Brian Niccol; Niccol is CEO of Chipotle) said Starbucks is exploring around 20 partnership offers to help expand deeper into smaller Chinese cities. "We remain committed to our China business and want to retain a meaningful stake," he told investors, calling the high level of interest a "vote of confidence." To address U.S. performance, Starbucks plans to roll out its new "Green Apron Service" model nationwide starting mid-August. Tested in 1,500 locations over eight weeks, the initiative sets clearer staffing and service standards to handle peak periods more efficiently. Alongside this, new order-management software is helping reduce wait times; 80 percent of in-store orders are now prepared in under four minutes, a benchmark the company set last fall. "I think Green Apron Service will define the Starbucks customer experience going forward," Narasimhan said. The company believes this operational reset is essential before adding more items to the menu. Starbucks also plans to streamline its offerings while introducing new ones: high-protein drinks, gluten-free snacks, baked goods, a new dark roast coffee, and experimental beverages using coconut water and customizable energy blends are on the horizon for 2025. Unlike past product rollouts, which were often conceived at corporate headquarters with little input from stores, the new strategy involves frontline employees in developing recipes that are quick and consistent to prepare. "Those days are over," Narasimhan said of the old top-down approach. Starbucks is also shifting its store design philosophy to encourage customers to spend more time in cafés. It's modifying or closing many of its roughly 90 mobile order-only outlets and is prototyping a new café layout with 32 seats and a drive-thru, which costs 30 percent less to build than the current design. The company is investing heavily in its transformation. One significant expense in the quarter was a large-scale leadership summit in Las Vegas that brought together 14,000 store managers and regional staff. Despite the revenue growth, Starbucks reported a sharp drop in profits. Net income fell 47 percent to $558 million, and adjusted earnings per share declined to 50 cents, well below analysts' expectations of 65 cents.


Toronto Star
9 hours ago
- Toronto Star
EVs have become a litmus test for whether we're still America's buddy — or ready to be a global Canada
By Joanna Kyriazis and Trevor Melanson Contributors Joanna Kyriazis is the director of public affairs and Trevor Melanson is the director of communications at Clean Energy Canada, a think tank at Simon Fraser University. There are few Canadian markets more integrated with the U.S. than vehicles. And not just the cars we build in Ontario, but the ones we drive across this country. We rely on U.S. safety standards that effectively determine which cars end up on dealership lots, align our tailpipe emission standards and when the U.S. under Biden erected a 100 per cent tariff wall on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs), did Canada look to Europe's much lower tariff or the U.K.'s lack of one? No, we put up a 100 per cent tariff wall too. Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details