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

Official data released on Friday shows that Chinese immigration inspection agencies handled a record 369 million cross-border entries and exits in the first half of 2026, marking a 10.8 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. The National Immigration Administration announced at a press conference that visa-free inbound travel by foreign nationals surged 30.6 per cent year-on-year, exceeding 17.8 million trips and accounting for 77.7 per cent of total foreign arrivals. During the period, mainland residents made 176 million cross-border trips, while residents from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan recorded 147 million trips, representing increases of 10.7 per cent and 8.1 per cent year-on-year, respectively. Foreign nationals logged over 45.9 million trips, a rise of 20.6 per cent. China currently offers unilateral visa-free entry to citizens from 50 countries, and nationals from 55 countries can now utilise the 240-hour visa-free transit programme to enter China through 65 designated entry points.