Reference News Network July 18 report - According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post website on July 16, during the first half of 2025, China continued to implement measures to encourage tourists to visit China, and the number of foreign tourists entering the country without a visa increased by more than 50% year-on-year.

According to data released by the National Immigration Administration, the number of foreign citizens entering and leaving China reached 38.053 million in the first half of 2025, an increase of 30.2% compared to the previous year.

The report said that Lü Ning, spokesperson for the National Immigration Administration, stated that the policy of facilitating visas effectively promoted a large number of foreign friends coming to China for tourism and business, driving continuous growth in inbound consumption.

At the end of 2023, China began to expand the visa-free entry policy to attract foreign tourists. This move aimed to boost the tourism industry, stimulate the domestic economy, and encourage people-to-people exchanges. Since then, the transit visa-free policy has been extended to more countries and regions, and the travel scope has also expanded nationwide.

Last December, the Chinese government added 21 visa-free entry and exit ports, and extended the stay of foreigners from 72 hours or 144 hours to a unified 240 hours, i.e., 10 days. This policy currently applies to 24 provinces (regions and municipalities).

Lü Ning said that in the next step, more diverse and effective policies on entry and exit and residence will be introduced to provide more convenience for people from all over the world to come to China.

The report said that with Indonesia being included in the visa-free list this June, China's 240-hour transit visa-free policy now covers 55 countries, including most European countries as well as the United States, Canada, and Australia.

To date, 47 countries have benefited from the unilateral visa-free policy, covering parts of Europe, Oceania, Asia, and South America. Passport holders of these countries can enter China for business, tourism, or sightseeing activities, with a maximum stay of 30 days.

According to official Chinese statistics, the total number of entries and exits in the first half of this year reached 333 million, an increase of 15.8% compared to the same period in 2024.

According to data from the National Immigration Administration, among them, the number of entries and exits of mainland residents was 159 million, an increase of 15.9% compared to the same period last year; the number of entries and exits of Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan residents was 136 million, an increase of 12.2% compared to the previous year. (Translated by Zheng Guoyi)

On June 20, staff helped foreign personnel use local applications at the International Comprehensive Service Area of Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport. (Xinhua News Agency)

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