China enhances policies to improve travel and shopping experiences for international visitors
Wire desk byline Sourced from Xinhua, Dawn, Arab News, Anadolu and Minute Mirror. Translated and abridged by the GSRRA Desk.
Docent Hu Yanan (R, front) provides English service for Egyptian tourist Khaled Metwally Abdelhay Mohamed (L, front) at the Yellow Crane Tower, or Huanghelou, a landmark in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, April 30, 2025. China introduced a new package of measures aimed at further optimizing the departure tax refund policy and boosting inbound spending on April 27.
The measures, announced by the Ministry of Commerce and five other government departments, include lowering the minimum purchase threshold for refunds, raising the cash refund ceiling, expanding the network of participating stores and widening the range of products available.
The latest move to optimize the departure tax refund policy builds on a series of measures China has introduced to facilitate visas, payments, and accommodation for overseas tourists, further demonstrating the country’s commitment to opening up.
China’s visa policies have been continuously adjusted and optimized. Currently, the country grants unilateral visa-free entry to 38 countries and has extended the transit visa-free period to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries. In 2024, visa-free entries reached 20.12 million visits, marking a year-on-year increase of 112.3 percent, according to official data. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
Docent Hu Yanan (R, front) provides English service for Egyptian tourist Khaled Metwally Abdelhay Mohamed (L, front) at the Yellow Crane Tower, or Huanghelou, a landmark in Wuhan, central China’s Hubei Province, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
A staff member provides the departure tax refund service for a tourist from Russia at a shopping plaza in Beijing, capital of China, April 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
A staff member from Tianjin branch of the Bank of China (BOC) provides Russian tourist Anna with payment services guide at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in Tianjin, north China, May 1, 2025. (Photo by Zeng Juerui/Xinhua)
A man exchanges banknotes at the Currency Exchange in Wangfujing station of Beijing Subway Line 8 in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
People walk past the Currency Exchange in Wangfujing station of Beijing Subway Line 8 in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
This photo shows a tax free shop in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, May 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
Tourists from Australia pose for photos at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, May 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
This photo shows a tax free shop in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, May 2, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Wei)
A staff member (L) provides the departure tax refund service for a tourist from South Korea at a shopping plaza in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, April 11, 2025. (Photo by Guorui/Xinhua)
Tourists from Australia visit the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing, capital of China, May 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
A staff member from Tianjin branch of the Bank of China (BOC) provides Indonesian tourist Fabiona with payment services guide at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in Tianjin, north China, May 1, 2025. (Photo by Zeng Juerui/Xinhua)
People walk past the Currency Exchange in Wangfujing station of Beijing Subway Line 8 in Beijing, capital of China, April 28, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)
A staff member from Tianjin branch of the Bank of China (BOC) provides New Zealand tourist Jason with payment services guide at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port in Tianjin, north China, May 1, 2025. (Photo by Zeng Juerui/Xinhua)
Foreign tourists visit the Tianjin Ancient Culture Street in Tianjin, north China, May 3, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Ran)
Reference Link:- https://english.news.cn/20250503/50f40b9f4858446fa6b73596138b702f/c.html
Zamir Ahmed Awan is the founder and Chair of the Global Silk Route Research Alliance, a think tank in Islamabad. He studied engineering at Shanghai University in the 1980s, and years later he went back to China as Pakistan's science counsellor in Beijing, from 2010 until 2016, working on science and higher education cooperation between the two countries.…
