In recent years, the term “China Chic”     1     (know) among fashion enthusiasts nationwide. The     2     (promote) of cultural confidence is the driving force for its formation. A Chinese university is working with a top brand     3     (support) designers in this area.

Tapestry, a fashion group, with Donghua University launched a training program,     4     aimed to promote “China Chic” abroad. They participated in the 4th China International Import Expo in Shanghai in November 2021 with a special collection of an     5     (entire) new brand. Led by Shan Chaoran from Donghua University, the collection     6     (include) bags, clothes and shoes.

Shan said China Chic was their theme. Among their designs, there lay     7     green woven cow leather bag     8     (reflect) garden elements and the tenon (榫) structure of architecture in China. “Our understanding of ‘China Chic’ is     9     young people like,” Shan said.

“China Chic’’, involving the use of traditional patterns, is not a wind like trend, a flash in the pan,     10     a way to highlight the hot issues among young people, a positive culture in China.

5 . Imagine stepping into your local supermarket, choosing your necessary things into a basket, heading to the bagging area and walking out with your weekly shopping. There is no need to make a payment, no counting coins, and no placement of a credit card in a terminal. In fact, there is no cashier at all. This is not a theft but a realistic picture of the future way to pay — when technology recognizes your presence, scans your shopping, and invisibly takes payment from your account.

Amer Sajed, the chief executive of Barclaycard, says it will result in the steady dying of the physical plastic credit card, which his company introduced to the UK over 55 years ago. Credit cards have evolved ever since 1966, but the basic procedure of payment has remained the same. A card is either handed over, or the number on it is read out or entered into a machine.

All that requires the existence of a plastic card, but Mr Sajed says this will be replaced by wearable items. At a display for Barclaycard staff, he shows off a plastic ring, a bracelet and a keychain which all contain a chip allowing the shopper to make payments on credit. This, he says, is just a bridge to technology that will recognize customers by their eye or fingerprint, so people will be able to shop without lining up at a checkout.

Although cash, cheques and indeed cards will remain a choice for shoppers, he says, these new ways of paying will take a growing share of the payments market in 10 years’ time. Such a future sounds frightening for anyone who already has concerns about the safety of payment. Mr Sajed argues that nothing will be done without permission.

As this digital market becomes more popular, and the technology advances, there will be a battle among banks, payment providers and others for their product to be used.