The number of foreign travelers to China more than doubled in the first seven months of the year after eased visa rules were implemented. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said that from January to July, 17.254 million foreigners entered the country, a year-on-year increase of 129.9%. About 846,000 of those people entered China with visas issued on arrival – up 182.9% on the same period last year. The Administration said the higher numbers were expected to amount to more than CNY100 billion in direct spending. After three years of Covid-19 restrictions, China reopened its borders in January last year. It also began easing visa rules for overseas travelers, granting exemptions for visitors from 12 nations in Europe and a few in Southeast Asia. Visitors from 54 countries including the United States and 40 in Europe are also allowed to stop for up to 144 hours as they transit via 37 ports in China. In addition, foreign businesspeople can apply for a visa on arrival at 100 ports in 73 cities. Eligible foreign professionals going to China for business and cooperation on technology can apply for multiple entry visas valid for between two and 10 years.
As its economy tried to recover from the pandemic and tensions rose with the West, China reported a general decline in overseas visitors and investment. One of the brighter spots, though, was the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the country’s flagship international infrastructure drive, which started to regain some momentum as the trillion-dollar development scheme entered its second decade last year. The NIA said a total of 10.66 million people from countries taking part in the BRI entered and exited China in the first half of this year, 2.6 times the number for the same time last year. More than 200 special channels at 24 ports have been set up to enable visitors from these countries to clear customs. A key element of the belt and road is transcontinental rail freight. The NIA said 78,000 border inspection and freight customs clearances were carried out for China-Europe express trains, 23.4% more than a year earlier. Using this rail system, fruit and vegetables from China could now reach Europe 30 days sooner than via sea routes.
Other services have been launched to help foreigners living in China. In December, authorities started issuing new foreign permanent resident ID cards, enabling holders to check in at airports, high-speed train stations, and hotels without presenting their passports. The cards can also be used as ID to pay for utilities via platforms such as Alipay and WeChat, putting the documents on a par with those held by Chinese citizens. In July, mainland authorities also started issuing cross-border travel permits to foreigners who are permanent residents of Hong Kong or Macao, allowing them to stay on the mainland visa-free for up to 90 days. More than 30,000 people had applied for the permits. At the same time, nearly 800,000 travel permits have been issued to Taiwanese residents this year. The NIA said the number of residents from the island who applied to live in Fujian province exceeded the total of the past 10 years, the South China Morning Post reports.
