"Isn't the city a city?" "What a city~"
Recently, this Internet meme originated from a foreign blogger swept the entire Internet. This is not only the epitome of the inbound tourism boom of foreign tourists, but also alarmed my country's diplomacy department.
According to the latest data released by the National Immigration Administration on Friday, in the first half of this year, 14.635 million foreigners entered the country at various ports, a year-on-year increase of 152.7%. Among them, 8.542 million people entered through visa-free entry, accounting for 52%, a year-on-year increase of 190.1%.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded: It is very happy to see foreign friends enjoying the beautiful scenery and delicious food in China and experiencing the vivid and real China first-hand. China is here and everyone is welcome.
The reason behind the popularity of "city is not city" is actually related to the "144-hour transit visa-free" policy currently implemented in China.
Some public opinion believes that the "144-hour transit visa-free" policy was proposed by Fok Qigang, a representative of the 14th National People's Congress and vice president of Hong Kong Fok Ying-tung Group. During the National Two Sessions in 2023, he submitted a bill on optimizing the visa-free transit policy for overseas tourists in Guangdong, promoting the in-depth implementation and continuous optimization of the policy.
However, some people believe that the implementation of the "144-hour transit visa-free" policy is not a suggestion by a single person or organization, but is based on the country's strategic considerations of opening up to the outside world and promoting international exchanges and cooperation, and is jointly promoted by relevant departments and institutions the result of. Huo Qigang is one of the most important proposers and promoters of this policy.
He put forward one suggestion in response to policy implementation issues: on the premise that risks are controllable, foreign independent travelers should gradually be allowed to apply for a 144-hour transit visa exemption on their own.
In March last year, Huo Qigang said in an interview with China Tourism News that foreign independent travelers would gradually be allowed to apply for "144-hour transit visa exemption" on their own. On the premise that the risks are controllable, in the future, we can consider relaxing overseas independent travelers' self-application visas. In the early stage of implementation, we can try to adopt stricter number limits, while requiring tourists to report their whereabouts regularly, and increasing the penalties for those who work or stay in the mainland in violation of regulations. .
In addition, the number of countries that have opened the "144-hour transit visa-free" policy will gradually increase. Consideration should be given to gradually strengthening ties with countries along the “Belt and Road” and including them in the list of visa-free countries, spreading Chinese culture through tourism, and establishing more friendly relations with China.
The "144-hour transit visa-free" policy not only brings China closer to the world, but also provides foreign tourists with an excellent opportunity to explore China.
CCTV News pointed out that a large number of foreign bloggers filmed their own China travel videos with the theme of "144-hour visa-free transit". The China in their lenses is rich and colorful. I learned square dancing on the street, was conquered by the food in the night market, took a close photo with a giant panda, and was enthusiastically given directions by a passing grandmother, etc.
As long as foreigners have been to China, they all praise all aspects of China. They gave thumbs up to China's modernization construction, convenient high-speed rail, easy-to-use mobile payment, rich food, clean streets, etc. A series of novel changes also made foreign bloggers sigh: It seems like they have traveled to the future world!
According to relevant data, the "china travel" tag has become popular on social media around the world, and related videos have been played more than 1 billion times.
Looking back, the "144-hour transit visa-free policy" can be said to be "a policy that shocked the world and opened a new chapter without visas." It is like a pair of sharp scissors, cutting through the stereotypes and prejudices imposed on China by the Western media The "information cocoon" constructed is rapidly breaking through the international vilification and misunderstanding of China, showing a more authentic, diverse and inclusive China.
The significance of the "144-hour transit visa-free policy" does not end there. Its implementation is an important part of China's opening-up strategy and demonstrates China's charm and confidence.
On a small scale, this has promoted the recovery and development of China's cross-border tourism industry. On a larger scale, it has provided the world with a window to gain an in-depth understanding of China.
Civilization is wonderful because of communication.It is hoped that more and more foreign tourists and bloggers will come to China, introduce China to the world from their own perspective and in their own way, and show China's style.
