【By Observer News, Xiong Chaoran】With the growing "circle of friends" for visa-free travel, "China travel" and "China shopping" continue to heat up, allowing the world to see a more confident, open, and powerful China.

According to Reuters, on July 9 local time, Neil Chernoff, Chief Planning and Strategy Officer of British Airways, told the media in Shanghai that after previously suspending service on the Beijing route last year, British Airways hopes to see the UK included in the expanding 30-day visa-free policy of China, to boost passenger demand.

"We are engaging in diplomatic cooperation with the UK government and the Chinese government to see if we can get the UK included in this program," Chernoff said. "I think this is a way for us to improve (passenger) demand."

The report said that for some time, China has continuously expanded the scope of its unilateral visa exemption policy. As of June this year, the program has covered 55 countries. Although the UK is not yet included in the 30-day visa-free policy range, since last year, British passport holders have been eligible for a 240-hour transit visa exemption policy when coming to China.

British Airways aircraft, Bloomberg

The report said that British Airways suspended flights to Beijing in October last year, becoming one of several foreign airlines affected by the Russian airspace flight ban.

Due to the need to detour around Russia, this means higher fuel and crew costs, and lower aircraft utilization, putting airlines unable to fly over Russian airspace at a competitive disadvantage compared to Chinese airlines that can offer short-haul routes.

"In such a market as China, due to no operational restrictions on British airlines, the Chinese obviously can offer more competitive products because their flight times are shorter."

Chernoff said that currently, British Airways still maintains daily flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong, but the resumption of the Beijing route has not been determined yet.

Notably, the joint operation cooperation between British Airways and China Southern Airlines was recently announced to be upgraded, and both parties will achieve mutual exchange of frequent traveler mileage points.

On July 9 local time, Time magazine published an editorial article stating that under President Trump's leadership, the United States is increasingly isolating itself from the world, banning tourists from entering the country under border and immigration controls, while in contrast, China has relaxed travel restrictions to an unprecedented level.

The article stated that China continues to expand its visa exemption policy to boost inbound tourism, with significant results. According to data from the National Immigration Administration, the number of foreign travelers entering China through visa exemptions exceeded 20 million in 2023, doubling year-on-year. Starting from July 16 this year, the coverage of visa-exempt countries will be expanded to 75 countries. As an entry hub, Shanghai has performed outstandingly: it received 2.6 million overseas travelers in the first half of this year, with nearly half of them entering via visa exemptions, representing a 45% increase year-on-year.

Through comparison, Time magazine stated that while the Trump administration continues to implement a series of restrictive measures against Chinese students, such as visa reviews, China is enhancing its soft power through the influx of inbound tourism.

For example, Chinese companies like Pop Mart, which launched the "LABUBU" toys, have gained global recognition. Their products' appeal enhances China's soft power and also stimulates interest among tourists worldwide in visiting China.

The globally popular "LABUBU" doll, CNN

Previously, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said that from "China travel" that can be done on a whim to "China shopping" with a wide variety of goods, from in-depth exploration of artificial intelligence to the global popularity of Chinese trend toys and TV dramas, more and more foreigners are approaching and understanding China, breaking through "cognitive cocoons" and gaining emotional resonance. This fully illustrates that the pursuit of beautiful things and the longing for a better life knows no borders or ethnicity, and is unstoppable by any force.

A more real, three-dimensional, and comprehensive China is being seen by more and more people. This is attributed to China's firm commitment to high-level opening-up, continuous convenience for personnel exchanges between China and other countries, as well as China's adherence to high-quality development, accelerating the development of new productive forces and innovation-driven development. More importantly, it is due to China always being a stabilizing force and a source of certainty in a world marked by turmoil and change, and adhering to Chinese-style modernization to empower global development. China will promote greater openness, broader innovation, and deeper cooperation with the world, sharing more opportunities and benefits, allowing people of all countries to have more chances to perceive the increasingly "cool" China.

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