On July 30, the State Council Information Office held a press conference as part of its “Series of Press Conferences on China’s High-Quality Fulfillment of the Targets Set for the 14th Five-Year Plan Period”. Wang Zhizhong, Vice Minister of Public Security and Commissioner of the National Immigration Administration (NIA); Xiong Shuren, Director General of the Citizens Exit-Entry Management Department of the NIA; Chi Jingyang, Director General of the Border Inspection and Management Department of the NIA; and Liu Jia, Head of the Foreigners Management Department of the NIA, outlined the achievements of China’s immigration management during the 14th Five-Year Plan period and took questions from the press. Key highlights are as follows:

During the 14th Five-Year Plan period, China has actively advanced and refined various visa-free policies. The country now grants either unilateral visa exemption or mutual visa-free entry to 75 countries. Moreover, the number of countries eligible for visa-free transit to China has increased to 55, while the number of entry ports has expanded to 60 across 24 provincial-level jurisdictions. The allowed stay period has been extended to 240 hours.

China’s border inspection agencies have handled a total of 1.556 billion entries and exits by travelers, along with more than 98 million cross-border aircraft, ships, trains and automobiles. China has become one of the most efficient countries in terms of port clearance.

Public security and immigration authorities nationwide have investigated over 151,000 cases of crimes undermining border management, apprehended more than 322,000 criminal suspects, and dismantled 7,648 criminal gangs. There has been a year-on-year decline in various cross-border illegal activities, including those involving firearms, drugs, gambling, and smuggling.

Additionally, the NIA has issued over 300 million entry and exit documents to Chinese citizens, and the number of valid ordinary passports held by Chinese citizens has surpassed 160 million.

Currently, holders of Chinese passports can enter over 90 countries and regions visa-free or with a visa on arrival. According to the rankings conducted by international consulting agency, Chinese passport has risen from 72nd place in 2021 to 60th in terms of global mobility, reflecting a continuous increase in the passport’s travel friendliness.

At present, visa-free entry has become the primary channel for foreign nationalsto visit China for tourism and business,empowering sustained growth in inbound travel. According to data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China received 26.94 million foreign visitors in 2024, representing a year-on-year increase of 96%.