COPENHAGEN — The world's leading mobile payment platform Alipay was launched in Denmark on Monday, enabling its Chinese users to enjoy its fast and convenient payment service when they travel to the Nordic country.

Operated by Ant Financial Services Group, an affiliate company of China's Alibaba Group, Alipay users can hail a taxi, book a hotel, buy movie tickets, pay utility bills, make appointments with doctors, or purchase wealth management products directly from within the app.

"We are happy that Denmark and the Nordics are embracing Alipay for Chinese tourists. The adoption of Alipay services of both payment and marketing will not only enhance the experience of Chinese consumers but also help Danish businesses to reach out to their Chinese customers even before they depart from China," said Wang Li, head of Alipay EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa).

Alipay was launched in Denmark by APay Nordic AS, in cooperation with 2paynow, the technology platform provider of Alipay in Europe.

"We are glad to see that APay Nordic is now introducing Alipay into Denmark, which will further strengthen the advantages of Denmark as a Chinese-friendly destination," said Miklos Bengtsen, CFO of ILLUM, a premium department store in Copenhagen, adding that China is a very important market for the Danish retail business.

According to Wang, Alipay's in-store payment service is covering more than 30 countries across the world, and tax reimbursement via Alipay is supported in 24 countries and regions.

Alipay has been launching its services in Europe since mid-2016. Denmark is the fourth Northern European country for Alipay to set foot in after Norway, Finland and Sweden.

Alipay now has over 520 million active users and over 450 financial institution partners globally. Over 10 million merchants accept Alipay across China.