The number of credit cards in circulation in China has more than doubled over the past year to more than 40m as a credit culture begins to take shape in the country, according to a report released today.
咨询公司麦肯锡发布的报告显示，中国大陆的信用卡普及率仍然远低于台湾和香港等可比区域，从而为信用卡行业留下了巨大的进步潜力。到2013年，该行业收益将达130亿元人民币（合17.3亿USD）。
Penetration1 rates remain well below those in comparable societies like Taiwan and Hong Kong, leaving huge potential for an industry that should provide Rmb13bn in profits by 2013, according to the report from McKinsey, the consultancy.
不过，跨国银行仍然被禁止在中国大陆发行信用卡，而中国国内银行的信用卡业务也仍未达成盈利。
But international banks re- main barred from issuing credit cards in China and the card business is still unprofitable for domestic banks.
该行业的增长潜力加强了中国政府的重压，迫使其颁布外资银行期待已久的规定，允许它们在中国大陆发行信用卡，从而兑现中国在加入世贸组织时做出的在2006年底之前向外资提供国民待遇的承诺。
The sector2s growing potential increases pressure on Beijing to implement3 long-awaited rules allowing foreign banks to issue cards, in keeping with its World Trade Organisation4 accession commitment to provide national treatment by the end of 2006.
剖析师表示，中国政府正在保护中国大陆银行在这个初生行业中的利益，但预计非常快就将向汇丰银行和花旗银行等外国银行业集团开放市场准入。现在，这类外资银行仅获准与中国大陆合伙人发行联名信用卡。
Analysts5 say the government is protecting domestic banks in the fledgling sector but is soon expected to open it to foreign banking6 groups such as HSBC and Citibank, which are now only allowed to offer co-branded cards with domestic partners.
过去数年，中国政府一直鼓励进步消费信用行业，以促进私人消费，同时平衡中国紧急依靠固定资产投资的迅速经济增长。
For the last few years Beijing has encouraged the creation of a consumer credit industry to promote private consumption and rebalance Chinas rapid economic growth, which relies heavily on fixed7 asset investment.
报告估计，过去4年，中国大陆真的意义上信用卡的数目每年都达成了翻番，截到今天年年中达到4300万张左右。
The report estimates the num- ber of true credit cards in China doubled for each of the last four years to reach about 43m by the middle of this year.
伴随必需的支付基础设施在全国飞速扩张，中国买家用信用卡购买产品和服务的数目正飞速上升。
As the necessary payment infrastructure8 expands rapidly across the country, Chinese consumers are using credit cards to pay for an increasing array of goods and services.