144-hour visa-free transit policy attracts more foreigners to China

(ECNS) -- Increasingly friendly tourist visa policies for foreigners have sparked a new wave of “China Travel” enthusiasm, with a rising number of foreigners sharing their experiences of visiting the country.

“(I) read on travel forums online about China’s policy. It’s so fantastic. We would visit the Forbidden City and Summer Palace and then walk and eat,” said British traveler Michael, who transited at Beijing Daxing International Airport en route to Singapore on Wednesday and planned to stay for a few days thanks to the country’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy.

The visa-free transit policy is seen as a crucial step in attracting a growing number of international visitors to China. In the first half of the year 2024, Beijing ports processed visa-free entry for 307,000 foreign travelers and issued 33,700 144-hour visa-free transit permits to eligible foreign travelers, reflecting year-on-year increases of 10.12 times and 7.24 times, respectively, according to the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

According to China's National Immigration Administration, the total number of visa-free entries made by eligible foreigners exceeded 8.54 million in the first six months of 2024, accounting for 52 percent of all inbound trips during the period and representing a year-on-year growth of 190.1 percent.

China's 144-hour visa-free transit policy applies to 37 ports, allowing more and more transit passengers to explore various parts of the country.