China sees continued growth in foreign cross-border travel

Foreign travel to China continued to pick up in the first eight months of this year, as the country expanded visa-free access and other measures aimed at making entry easier for international travelers.

Foreign nationals made nearly 61.29 million trips across China's borders from January through August, up 19.5 percent over the year-earlier level, according to data released on Sept 10. Of the entries into China by foreign nationals during the period, 23.72 million were visa-free, accounting for 77.6 percent of the total, up 26.8 percent year-on-year.

The figures were released at a sub-forum on immigration management cooperation held as part of the 2026 Conference of Global Public Security Cooperation Forum, held in the city of Lianyungang, East China's Jiangsu province.

China has steadily eased visa rules to allow longer stays and wider travel for international visitors, part of efforts to facilitate cross-border exchanges and boost inbound tourism. It currently offers unilateral visa-free entry to nationals of 50 countries, while its 240-hour visa-free transit program covers 57 countries.