This infographic explains China’s 240-hour visa-free transit policy by outlining the eligible ports of entry, permitted stay areas, and the key conditions foreign nationals must meet to qualify.
In the first half of this year, China recorded 13.64 million visa-free visits by foreign tourists, a 53.9 percent increase compared to the same period last year. This reflects efforts to improve the travel experience, including updates to departure tax refund policies.
China has rolled out multiple new policies to optimize payment services for foreigners, allowing convenient use of international bank cards on platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay.
As China is poised to deepen its efforts to attract inbound consumption via the "Shopping in China" initiative in 2026, analysts said these measures are not just a near-term growth lever but a structural catalyst for the country's evolution as a more open and high-quality consumer market.
Beijing will further enhance its services to attract more international brands in debuting their products and innovating diverse scenarios, in a bid to build itself into an international shopping hub, said an official with the Beijing Municipal Commerce Bureau.
Hainan’s new offshore duty-free policies, effective Nov 1, aim to boost supply, enhance tax benefits, and improve shopping experiences for travelers and residents, supporting the Free Trade Port’s development.
As the Hainan Free Trade Port's island-wide special customs operations get underway, the optimization of the offshore duty-free policy, a key step in its opening-up drive, will help turn the island into a consumption hub that offers greater opportunities for both domestic and foreign players, experts said.
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