“This is my first time celebrating the Spring Festival in China, and I’m so happy and excited!” said Andrew, a Spanish national who had just arrived in Beijing, as he passed through customs in the arrival hall of Terminal 2 at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Members of “Spring Language” Multilingual Service Team at the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection
This year marks the first Spring Festival since its inclusion into the UNESCO intangible cultural heritage list. Andrew accompanied his Chinese girlfriend home to celebrate the Chinese New Year.
“China’s visa-free policy has brought great convenience to visitors from Spain. I plan to stay in Beijing for a week.” Completing their entry procedures in just a few minutes, they expressed their gratitude, “Thank you, and happy Spring Festival!” With smiles, the police officers sent their festive greetings as well, “Happy Spring Festival!”
China’s ever-expanding visa-free “circle of friends” has boosted inbound tourism in Beijing, especially during the Spring Festival, which attracted numerous foreigners to join the celebration. Most flights from Central and Western Asian, as well as African countries such as Iran, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Algeria frequently land at Terminal 2 of Beijing Capital International Airport. As passengers from these countries usually have limited proficiency in English, police officers in frontier inspection need to equip themselves with better language skills.
To address this, the Third Duty Team of the Fourth Duty Unit at the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection has established a “Spring Language” multilingual service team to provide frontline assistance. “The team consists of seven members capable of providing services in five languages: English, French, Russian, Korean, and German. We aim to leverage our language proficiency to improve the image of China and enhance the overall experience for passengers as they pass through customs,” said Ma Lifang, head of the service team.
Early in the morning, as flight KC267 from Almaty to Beijing arrived on schedule, the arrival hall of Terminal 2 welcomed more than a hundred excited passengers. Among them, an elderly Kazakh man, Kulanov, held a barely-used passport with a confused expression. At that moment, a police officer approached, smiling warmly, and asked in fluent Russian, “Excuse me, can I help you?” A look of surprise flashed across the elderly man’s face, quickly followed by a deep sense of gratitude. Thanks to the assistance of police officer Ai Xiling, the Kazakh man, who was visiting relatives in China for the first time, was able to pass smoothly through customs and spend the Spring Festival with his family.
“There is an Algerian passenger who doesn’t speak English and hasn’t fully completed the entry card. What should we do?” This was the challenge that Li Ming, a new police officer, encountered when passengers from flight AH3060 arrived. “I’ll give it a try!” police officer Cui Zhuqing, a French major graduate, volunteered to communicate with the passenger in French. Thanks to her efforts, the Algerian passenger, Ahmed, completed the entry procedures smoothly. Taking his passport, Ahmed smiled and said, “China is amazing!”
No sooner had he finished speaking than a passenger from Uzbekistan, arriving on flight HY505, approached. Regardless of the question, he responded only in Russian. Ai Xiling quickly ran over and provided assistance with fluent Russian. Officers running to address inquiries has become a common occurrence during nearly every duty team.
The “Spring Language” multilingual service team, true to its name, bridges the world and China with spring-like warmth and language services. Here, language is no longer a barrier. Through every smile and conversation, travelers experience the openness and inclusiveness of China in the new era.
