The China Story
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Currently, 41 exit-entry ports in 19 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the Central Government of China have implemented the 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens from 54 countries.
China has implemented a 24-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens of all other countries around the world at all its accessible exit-entry ports.
With visa-free policies and optimized measures, international travelers are flocking in greater numbers to China, Yang Feiyue reports.
China's visa-free policies have made travel so much easier for foreign tourists and business people. According to the National Immigration Administration, China welcomed 17.25 million foreign visitors in the first seven months of this year, a 129.9 percent increase year-on-year; while port visas issued rose to 846,000, up by 182.9 percent. By offering 144-hour visa-free transit, regional visa exemptions and streamlined port visa services, China is embracing the world with unprecedented openness. For more details on China's visa-free policies and other services, please visit the 12367 service platform or the State Council app.
Experts have estimated that China's inbound tourism market will maintain its continuous recovery for the rest of the year and could return to the pre-COVID level reached in 2019, in view of its good performance in the first half of the year.
The number of foreign visitors to China surged by 129.9 percent year-on-year to 17.25 million from January to July this year, thanks to a series of measures facilitating the entry of foreigners, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Monday.
