Beijing ports report surge in border crossings in first half of the year

Ports in Beijing recorded nearly 8.3 million border crossings in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 1.85 times, according to the Beijing General Station of Entry and Exit Frontier Inspection.

The number of foreign nationals entering China saw a significant rise, reaching 1.02 million, up 2.5 times compared to the previous year. During this period, Beijing's ports processed visa-free entry for 307,000 foreign nationals, an increase of 10.12 times year-on-year. Additionally, 33,700 eligible foreign visitors were issued the 144-hour visa-free transit permit, up 7.24 times year-on-year.

Foreign visitors to China are primarily tourists, accounting for nearly 40 percent of the total, followed by those attending conferences, on business trips, and visiting family, indicating a continuous increase in cross-border travel, the general station reported.

On July 1, China implemented trial unilateral visa-free policies for ordinary passport holders from New Zealand, Australia, and Poland. Prior to this, China had already implemented unilateral visa-free policies for ordinary passport holders from 12 countries, including France, Germany, and Italy. As of July 2, nearly 163,000 foreign nationals from these 15 countries entered China visa-free, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the total number of visitors from these countries, showing an overall upward trend.

In the first half of the year, over 5.74 million mainland residents chose to enter or exit the country through Beijing's ports, roughly 2.7 times more than the same period last year. They accounted for nearly 70 percent of the total inbound and outbound personnel at Beijing's ports.

The general station also noted a noticeable increase in family and group travelers. With the arrival of the summer vacation for primary and secondary schools in July, the trend of families traveling together and students participating in summer camps continues to rise. It is anticipated that the summer travel peak at Beijing ports in July and August will be more pronounced, with the number of inbound and outbound visits continuing at high levels, the general station said.

With the implementation of policies facilitating travel for both Chinese and foreign nationals, and the impact of the summer vacation period, it is expected that by early August, the total number of inbound and outbound personnel at Beijing's ports will exceed 10 million, according to the general station.