Visa free entries spur cross border travel

The number of foreigners entering China visa-free saw a surge in the third quarter as a result of the country's continuous efforts to invigorate cross-border travel, the National Immigration Administration said.

During the period, China saw more than 4.88 million visa-free entries by foreigners, a 78.6 percent year-on-year increase, Zhang Ning, a spokeswoman for the administration, said on Friday.

The total number of foreigners entering China during the same period increased 48.8 percent to more than 8.18 million, Zhang said at a news conference.

The country issued 807,000 visas for foreigners in the third quarter, which was 32.7 percent more than the same period last year.

The rapid increases are a direct result of the country's efforts to facilitate foreigners' travel this year, Zhang said.

The administration introduced a series of measures in the third quarter to streamline visa policies for foreign travelers.

In a statement issued in late July, the administration said that tourists from countries that have diplomatic ties with China can enter Hainan province without a visa and stay there for up to 144 hours, if they arrive in a group which is organized by travel agencies registered in the Hong Kong or Macao special administrative regions.

The statement came about two weeks after the administration granted the 144-hour visa-free transit policy to another three ports in Henan and Yunnan provinces, expanding the number of China's ports of entry enjoying the policy to 37.

As a result of the expansion, citizens of 54 countries are now able to stay in Henan for up to six days visa-free if they transit in the province through Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport.

If they transit in Yunnan through Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and Mohan Railway Port, they can also enjoy a six-day visa-free stay in nine cities and prefectures of the Southwest China province.

All these measures, "working together in synergy, have brought about multifaceted benefits", Zhang said.

The administration will continue to improve the visa-free transit policy and other policies, and work with relevant departments to make foreigners' trips and their stays in China easier, Zhang said.