Door opens wider with more visa-free cities

China is extending its 144-hour visa-free transit policy to more cities. The number of Chinese border ports that allow eligible international travelers from 53 countries to stay in the country for 144 hours without a visa will increase to 27 from Dec 1, the National Immigration Administration announced on Wednesday.

The border ports being added to the list are Chongqing in Southwest China, Xi'an, the capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, and Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province.

Adding the four cities to the list represents another step in the country's opening-up to the outside world.