China's cross-border trips hit 369 mln in first half of 2026, setting record high

 China's border inspection agencies handled a record 369 million inbound and outbound crossings in the first half of 2026, up 10.8 percent year on year, official data showed on Friday.

Visa-free entries by foreign nationals surged 30.6 percent year on year to surpass 17.8 million, accounting for 77.7 percent of all foreign arrivals, the National Immigration Administration said at a press briefing.

During this period, mainland residents made 176 million cross-border trips, while residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan made 147 million trips, up 10.7 percent and 8.1 percent year on year, respectively.

Foreign nationals made more than 45.9 million trips, an increase of 20.6 percent, the administration noted.

China currently offers unilateral visa-free entry to nationals of 50 countries. Meanwhile, nationals from 55 countries can now utilize the 240-hour visa-free transit program to enter China via 65 designated ports. ■