Originally Posted by
Kilian Zoll
Are you suggesting the rest of the (developed) world isn't cashless? ... Everywhere else is pretty much as cashless as China is these days. HK (Taiwan I'm not sure) cannot be grouped with "rest of world" here, because it's truly unique in its cash dependency.
By "cashless" for other developed countries, are you thinking something widely internationally accepted like credit card, or something domestic-only like what China is doing? For me, cashless in the form of internationally accepted CC isn't a deterrent at all; having to have a local bank account (practically impossible for foreign visitor) in order to pay for basics would be. Fortunately cash is still ubiquitously accepted in Chengdu.
Your question also made me wonder if China is considered a developed country now. For the first time that I seriously considered, I think it is. The thought is revolutionary for me.