China's Cross-Border Travel Hits Record 369 Million Trips

Beijing (ANTARA) - Official data released on Friday shows that China’s border inspection authorities handled a record 369 million inbound and outbound crossings in the first half of 2026, an increase of 10.8 per cent compared with the previous year.

The National Immigration Administration of China stated at a press conference that visa-free inbound travel by foreign nationals surged 30.6 per cent year on year to exceed 17.8 million, accounting for 77.7 per cent of total foreign arrivals.

During the period, mainland Chinese residents made 176 million cross-border trips, while residents of Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan recorded 147 million trips, up 10.7 per cent and 8.1 per cent respectively year on year. Foreign nationals recorded more than 45.9 million trips, an increase of 20.6 per cent.

China currently offers unilateral visa-free entry to citizens of 50 countries. Meanwhile, citizens of 55 countries can now take advantage of the 240-hour visa-free transit programme to enter China through 65 designated entry points.