Venue: Beijing Rui'an Hotel

Time: Jan 8, 2019 at 10:00

Moderator: Chen Bin, director general of the Department of Foreigners Management, National Immigration Administration (NIA)

Guests: Yin Chengji, vice administrator of NIA

            Jia Tongbin, deputy director general of the Department of Foreigners Management, NIA

 

Full Text

The Press Conference of the NIA

 

[Chen Bin]

Dear friends from the press,

Good morning. Welcome to the press conference of the National Immigration Administration (NIA). This press conference is held to brief on the optimization of the 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy in Zhejiang, Chongqing, Sichuan and Shaanxi for foreign nationals.

 

[Chen Bin]

At present, it is a common practice worldwide for a country to exempt entry visa for foreign nationals transiting to a third country and to provide convenience for their temporary stay. This is referred to the visa-exemption transit policy for foreign nationals. With the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Public Security and NIA have successively launched 72-hour and 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy at relevant ports of entry in 22 cities of 18 provinces for foreign nationals from 53 countries since 2013, a measure which has significantly boosted economic and social development, and provided convenience for the exchanges between Chinese people and foreign nationals.

 

[Chen Bin]

In order to further promote the opening-up and boost economic and social development, NIA, with the approval of the State Council, has optimized the visa-exemption policy in Zhejiang, Chongqing, Sichuan and Shaanxi:

- extending the visa-exemption stay period for foreigners transiting via the air ports in Chongqing and Xi'an

- adding Ningbo Airport into the list of visa-exemption ports of entry in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region for transit foreigners, and

- expanding the stay area for foreigners who transit via the air ports in Chengdu.

Today, we are delighted to invite Yin Chengji, vice administrator of NIA and officials from the Department of Foreigners Management of NIA to introduce relevant information and answer your questions. First and foremost, let's give the floor to vice administrator Yin Chengji to brief you on relevant information of the policy adjustments.

 

[Yin Chengji]

Dear friends from the press,

Good morning. Thank you very much for the long-term attention and support you have given to the work of NIA. For implementing the instructions of President Xi Jinping in his important speeches on promoting the high-level opening-up in an all-round way, to facilitate opening up to a higher level, advance economic and social development and enhance exchanges between Chinese and foreign nationals, NIA has been firmly committed to promoting and delivering services for opening-up and made unremitting efforts to explore and introduce immigration and exit-entry facilitation measures, and strive for a more open, more convenient and safer soft environment for the country’s exit and entry services.

 

[Yin Chengji]

Since 2013, with the approval of the State Council, the Ministry of Public Security and NIA have successively implemented 72-hour and 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy at 29 ports of entry in 22 cities of 18 provinces for foreign nationals from 53 countries. Foreign travelers eligible for visa-exemption transit policy may stay within the specified areas for 72 hours or 144 hours.

Additionally, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and Yangtze River Delta Region have applied a coordinated policy for visa-exemption at ports of entry and stay areas, which means that transiting foreign travelers entering or exiting China via the air ports of Beijing, Beijing West Railway Station, Tianjin Binhai International Airport, Tianjin International Cruise Home Port, Shijiazhuang Zhengding International Airport, and Qinhuangdao Port may stay within the administrative divisions of Beijing Municipality, Tianjin Municipality and Hebei Province; Transiting foreign travelers entering or exiting China via Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, sea ports and land ports of Shanghai, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport and Nanjing Lukou International Airport may stay within the administrative divisions of Shanghai Municipality, Jiangsu Province and Zhejiang Province.

 

[Yin Chengji]

As of September 2019, a cumulative total of 452,000 foreign nationals have transferred via China thanks to the visa-exemption transit policy, including 101,000 passengers in 2018, up by 24 percent over 2017. Gradually expanding the area for visa-exemption policy has played a positive role in fueling economic and social development, facilitating international exchanges, enhancing the internationalization of China's tourism, aviation and other service industries, and forging an immigration environment conducive to reform and opening-up.

 

[Yin Chengji]

With the in-depth implementation of the integrated development plan for Yangtze River Delta, the Belt and Road Initiative, the development of western region and other important national strategies of China, the geographical advantages of Zhejiang, Chongqing, Sichuan and Shaanxi are further manifested and the level of internationalization of the four places has been significantly improved, in addition to which, these four places witness an significant increase in the number of exit and entry through air ports and boast a relatively solid foundation of foreigners management. Therefore, the conditions are mature for them to further optimize the visa-exemption transit policy.

With the approval of the State Council, NIA agreed to extend the visa-free stay period for travelers who transit via air ports in Chongqing and Xi'an to 144 hours, implement 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy for transits via air ports in Ningbo, and expand the visa-exemption stay area for travelers transiting via the air ports in Chengdu to 10 more cities including Leshan and Deyang, etc.

The aforesaid policy will be officially put in force from December 1, 2019, providing more convenience for transit foreigners to engage in such short-term activities in China as touring, sightseeing, business negotiation, visiting relatives and friends, and to create better conditions for them to fully experience Chinese culture, China's development and share China's achievements in opening-up. Thank you!

 

[Chen Bin]

Thank you vice administrator Yin Chengji for your detailed introduction.

Next, the floor is open for the Q&A session. Please raise the question of your interest around the theme of the meeting. Please tell us the name of the media you represent before raising your question.

 

[Journalist, People's Daily]

Could you please give us more details about the policy optimization?

 

[Chen Bin]

Optimizing and adjusting visa-exemption transit policy in a timely manner is one of the important measures of NIA to optimize the exit-entry environment of China and is in line with the needs of China to expand opening-up in the new era. The policy optimization is unfolded into three major parts:

First, extending the visa-exemption stay period. The visa-exemption stay period for the foreigners transiting via air ports in Chongqing and Xi'an will be extended from 72 hours to 144 hours while the stay areas remain unchanged, which are the administrative divisions in Chongqing Municipality, Xi'an and Xianyang.

 

[Chen Bin]

Second, adding new visa-exemption ports of exit and entry for transit foreigners. Air ports in Ningbo are added into the list of visa-exemption ports of entry in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang-Shanghai region, so transit foreigners who enter China via Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, sea ports and land ports of Shanghai, Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport, Nanjing Lukou International Airport and air ports in Ningbo Airport may stay within the administrative divisions of Jiangsu Province, Shanghai Municipality and Zhejiang Province.

 

[Chen Bin]

Third, expanding visa-exemption stay areas for transit foreigners. The 144-hour visa-exemption stay areas for the foreigners transiting via air ports in Chengdu will be expanded from Chengdu to the administrative divisions of 11 cities including Chengdu, Leshan, Deyang, Suining, Meishan, Ya'an, Ziyang, Neijiang, Zigong, Luzhou and Yibin, which means that the foreigners transiting via air ports in Chengdu may stay within the above-mentioned 11 cities.

 

[Journalist, CNR of China Media Group]

What are the considerations of NIA in optimizing the visa-exemption transit policy in Zhejiang, Chongqing, Sichuan and Shaanxi at the current stage?

 

[Chen Bin]

In response to the new situation and requirements for deepening reform and furthering opening-up, NIA has formulated and introduced a series of policies and measures to facilitate immigration management services, including the introduction and implementation of the visa-exemption transit policy for foreigners. Ningbo, Chongqing, Chengdu and Xi'an are important node cities for the Belt and Road Initiative and play a unique and vital role in the regional development and opening-up of China.

 

[Chen Bin]

Specifically, Ningbo is an important city to promote the urban integration of the Yangtze River Delta Metropolis Circle as well as a sea-land intermodal transport hub along the Belt and Road; Chongqing and Chengdu, located in the converging point of the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Silk Road Economic Belt, are the strategic pivots of the grand western development program and the important regions to forge the highland of open economy in the Chinese inland; Xi'an, as the starting point of the ancient silk road, is a place of vital importance for the opening-up of the west region of China.

The four places boast abundant natural, cultural and tourism resources and enjoy a relatively high level of internationalization, thus exhibiting a relatively huge potential for the development of tourism industry and the industry of trade in services. Optimizing the visa-exemption transit policy in Zhejiang, Sichuan and Shaanxi provinces and Chongqing Municipality, is an important policy measure of NIA to serve the construction of the Belt and Road, promote upgrading of tourism, aviation and other service industries. It also serves to facilitate the coordinated opening-up of China's inland, coastal, border and riverside areas, and to create a paradigm for opening up in an all-round manner.

 

[Journalist, CGTN]

How will the policy optimization help to boost the economic development of relevant regions?

 

[Chen Bin]

The optimized policy will better respond to the development trend of international tourism as well as the wishes of foreign tourists, and will make it easier for foreign tourists to travel to Zhejiang, Chongqing, Sichuan and Shaanxi, which is conducive to promoting the expansion of local tourism market and the development of tourism industry, improving the service quality of relevant industries including the catering industry and the aviation industry, and spurring the expansion and upgrading of comprehensive tourism consumption.

Moreover, it will attract more international passengers and transit passengers, which will help promote the relevant ports to further improve their route layout and enhance their international competitiveness. Additionally, the optimized policy will provide more convenience for foreigners to be engaged in economic, business and trade activities and humanistic exchanges, which will comprehensively showcase the economic and social development achievements of the four places, improve the visibility and influence of their platforms for opening-up, and expedite the establishment of a new pattern for opening-up in an all-round manner.

 

[Journalist, Phoenix TV]

What is going on for the implementation of the visa-exemption transit policy in China?

 

[Chen Bin]

In order to serve the overall situation of China's reform and opening-up and to demonstrate China's stance of opening-up to the outside world, the State Council has approved the implementation of 72-hour and 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy for nationals from 53 countries at 30 ports of entry in 23 cities of 18 provinces since 2013. The 144-hour visa-exemption transit policy has been implemented at 27 ports of entry in 20 cities: Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shenyang, Dalian, Qingdao, Chengdu, Xiamen, Kunming, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Jieyang, Chongqing, Xi'an and Ningbo, and 72-hour visa-exemption transit policy, 3 ports of entry in 3 cities: Changsha, Guilin and Harbin. A transit foreigner may enter China without a visa by presenting valid travel documents and an onward air/vessel/train ticket to a third country (region) with confirmed date and seat, and stay within the specified areas during the visa-exemption period.

 

[Chen Bin]

As of September this year, around 452,000 foreigners have enjoyed the convenience delivered by the policy. In terms of the number of transit foreigners, the policy has seen notable effects in the aviation hub cities of China. In 2018, the number of foreigners transiting via Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou reached 97,000, accounting for 96 percent of the total transit foreigners benefiting from the 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit policy of that year. In terms of the increment of transit foreigners, a total of 101,000 people entered China in 2018 thanks to the visa-free transit policy, up by 24 percent over the year of 2017. In this sense, the visa-exemption policy plays a very effective role in attracting foreigners to China.

 

[Chen Bin]

Dear friends,

Due to time constraints, today's press conference is concluded. If you have any further requests for interviews, please contact the Spokesperson's Office of NIA. Thank you again for your attendance.

 

 

Notice: This English version is only for reference. To learn more, please refer to the authoritative Chinese version.