Reference News Network, July 9 report - According to the website of Hong Kong's South China Morning Post on July 7, China's visa-free entry policy for citizens of dozens of countries seems to have achieved significant results. In the first half of this year, a large number of overseas tourists flooded in, injecting much-needed momentum into domestic consumption.

Data from Shanghai, China's financial center, shows that the number of foreign visitors in the first half of 2025 reached 2.6 million, an increase of 44.8% compared to the same period last year. Among them, about 1.4 million entered through the visa exemption policy, more than three times the figure from the same period last year.

South Korea, Japan, the United States, Thailand and Russia are the main sources of tourists. The number of foreign passengers entering at Pudong Airport, the country's top air port, reached 2.37 million.

In the first half of this year, the total number of foreign visitors in Beijing, the capital, was 1.49 million, of which more than 840,000 entered under the visa exemption policy, twice the figure from the same period last year.

Chengdu, a major city in southwest China, saw 277,000 foreigners entering under the visa exemption policy in the first half of this year, 2.2 times the figure from the same period last year.

Hainan, China's largest free trade port, had a total of 663,000 foreign entrants and departures in the first half of the year, an increase of 48% compared to the previous year. Among them, as many as 89% were foreigners who entered the country for tourism purposes under the visa exemption policy.

At the end of 2023, China began to expand its visa exemption policy to attract foreign tourists and businesspeople to return to China.

Many countries, especially those in Europe and other parts of Asia, have been fully granted visa exemption. Citizens of these countries can stay in China for up to 30 days and can travel anywhere within the country during that time.

Some countries' citizens can also enter China without a visa under specific conditions. The most common situation is that travelers can be exempted from a visa when transiting between multiple countries or regions, provided they have a record of their transit itinerary. Last month, the National Immigration Administration expanded this policy to include Indonesia.

Citizens of these countries can enter China through 60 ports in mainland China, with a maximum stay of 10 days without a visa.

Currently, various visa exemption policies cover most developed markets and most countries in Southeast Asia. In recent years, economic and trade ties between Southeast Asia and China have continued to strengthen.

In addition to the visa exemption policy, as the world's second-largest economy, China has taken other measures to encourage foreign tourists to spend, including opening more duty-free shops nationwide.

According to the French magazine "Le Point" website on July 5, after China relaxed its visa policy, the tourism industry has experienced vigorous growth.

With China continuing to relax its visa policy, the number of tourists keeps increasing. In 2024, the number of inbound tourists to China exceeded 130 million, and the total spending by inbound tourists reached 94.2 billion U.S. dollars, approaching the level of 2019.

Currently, citizens of 47 countries can enter China without a visa, staying up to 30 days. It is reported that citizens of the United States and 54 other countries can apply for a 10-day transit visa upon arrival.

The report said that citizens of dozens of countries can experience the vibrant development of Chinese cities, the diverse street scenes, and the modern transportation system through these policies. Liu Xiangyan, a researcher at the China Tourism Academy, said that foreign tourists' views of China are "similar to how Chinese people used to view traveling to Europe and the United States." This new tourism policy not only helps boost the economy but also helps showcase China's positive image.

"It's interesting that now, in the global media landscape, the United States is facing negative reports," said Lars Ulrik Tom, the founder of a cultural and creative products store in a Beijing hutong. He said that the visa exemption policy has "achieved remarkable results."

He said, "I never thought I would live to see such a strong open policy, so this is truly a significant move." (Translated by Yang Ke, Shu Meng)

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