Recently, “China Travel” has emerged as a trending hashtag on global social media. Available for 37 ports and 54 countries, the 144-hour visa-free transit policy makes “on-a-whim travel” to China a reality for foreign tourists. The statistics from the National Immigration Administration (NIA) show that a total of 17.254 million foreigners visited China from this January to July, up 129.9% year-on-year. During the period, port visas issued to foreign nationals soared by 182.9% year-on-year to 846,000.
On August 19, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on “Promoting High-Quality Development”. According to Liu Haitao, Deputy Commissioner of the NIA, China has introduced over 110 measures in recent years to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals, enabling expats to “come with greater convenience”, “come in diversified ways” and “invest in China”, allowing them to witness firsthand the beauty of China in the new era.
Tourists from Italy posed for a group photo after practicing Tai Chi at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing on July 9. (Photo by Xinhua News Agency)
Foreign tourists visiting China spend an average of 3,459 yuan per person daily
To facilitate people-to-people exchanges, the NIA has continuously refined policies for visa-free entry, visa-free transit and port visas, among others, leading to a steady rise in the number of foreign visitors. These policies can be summarized in three aspects: the 144-hour visa-free transit policy offers greater convenience for foreigners to come to China; differentiated visa-free transit policies attract foreign visitors to come to China in diversified ways; and innovative port visa policies bring in more foreign investment.
It’s worth mentioning that 37 ports and 54 countries have been covered by the 144-hour visa-free transit policy since its implementation in January 2013. Recently, the NIA launched a 144-hour visa-free transit for foreign tour groups entering Hainan via Hong Kong and Macao, benefiting more than 5.9 million foreign tourist visits to date.
The application for port visas has been made even easier. Foreigners with urgent business, trade, visits, or other activities can apply for port visas at 100 visa offices across 73 cities in China. Meanwhile, various services, including re-entry visas, for foreigners engaging in business and investment are also provided to ensure easy entry and easy stay.
“These policies are complementary and synergistic, offering a wide range of benefits. The most immediate impact is the rapid increase of foreign visitors to China.” According to Liu Haitao, data released by the National Bureau of Statistics in 2023 shows that foreign tourists in China spent an average of 3,459 yuan per person daily, which is expected to directly boost consumption by over 100 billion yuan.
Moving forward, the NIA will further increase the appeal of the policies and the actual benefits they can offer by improving policy measures such as visa-free transit. This includes broadening policy scope, fostering cooperation with more regions, and optimizing the layout of opening up. On top of that, the NIA will work closely with relevant departments to bring greater convenience for foreigners visiting and staying in China.
The first seven months of this year saw 341 million inbound and outbound trips
With China’s rapid economic development and continuous opening-up efforts, the border ports in the country have recorded a great number of inbound and outbound trips with easy entry and exit. According to the NIA, 341 million inbound and outbound trips were made from January to July this year, an increase of 62.34% year on year. Additionally, 18.176 million cross-border trips were made by various means of transport, including aircraft, vehicles, ships, and trains, representing a 52.09% year-on-year increase.
An open China provides enjoyable travel experience for foreign visitors and ensures the smooth transport of goods, which can be encapsulated by two terms: “more convenience” and “more efficiency”.
Ensuring the smooth flow of industrial and supply chains allows “more efficiency”. “Green channels” of customs clearance for major cargo flights at hub airports have been set up. At maritime ports, a “zero-wait” policy for inbound international vessels and a “zero-delay” policy for outbound vessels have been adopted to help businesses save time and reduce costs. “Fast channels” at land ports for key cross-border freight vehicles were introduced, ensuring immediate inspection upon arrival and expedited customs clearance. The China-Europe Railway Express now delivers vegetables and fruits from Henan and Shandong provinces to Europe 30 days faster than maritime shipping.
To achieve “more convenience”, the entry and exit procedures at border crossings and customs clearance have been streamlined. For example, the average border inspection time for Chinese citizens has been reduced to 45 seconds, among the fastest in the world. Facilitation arrangements have been in place for border entry and exits for Belt and Road countries at 24 ports, with more than 200 special channels established. As a result, 10.66 million inbound and outbound trips were made by visitors from Belt and Road countries in the first half of the year, a 1.6-fold increase compared with the same period last year.
The NIA will continue to actively and prudently advance the institutional opening-up of immigration management, and offer more support for Chinese enterprises, products and personnel venturing abroad, while attracting more foreign investment, businesses and enterprises, serving and promoting high-quality development.
The applicants for the new “Five-Star Card” increased by 30% year on year
On December 1, 2023, the NIA officially launched a new version of ID cards for foreign permanent residents, also known as the “Five-Star Card”. It’s learned that to date, the number of international talent applying for the card has increased by 30% year on year.
Such increase is closely related to the convenience brought by the card, said Liu Jia, Deputy Director General of the Department of Foreigners Management of the NIA. It is fair to say that the “Five-Star Card” is as convenient and valid as a Chinese resident identity card in accessing public services.
In terms of transportation, the “Five-Star Card” can be used to purchase train, air and bus tickets online and offline. The card is also available for check-ins and security checks by a quick swipe at airports, train and bus stations and other scenarios where self-service devices are provided. For accommodations, the card can be used alone to check in at hotels. In terms of communications, it can be used to apply for fixed-line telephones, register mobile phone accounts and subscribe to broadband services at telecommunication service outlets. For financial services, the card serves as proof of identity to open accounts, access various services including wealth management at commercial banks, insurance companies and securities firms.
Additionally, the “Five-Star Card” has been integrated into the “one-stop online government services” system, enabling holders to access mobile payments, pay utility bills, use public transportation and enjoy other services via over 30 internet applications including WeChat, Alipay and Douyin.
To facilitate the renewal of the “Five-Star Card”, the NIA allows cardholders to submit their applications at service centers near their permanent residences. Next, the NIA will work with relevant authorities to further expand the functions of the “Five-Star Card” in different scenarios, making it even more convenient and helpful.
