Extended visa-free transit program fuels surge in China's inbound visitors

BEIJING -- China has seen 40.6 million inbound arrivals in the year since rolling out its 240-hour visa-free transit program, up 27.2 percent year-on-year, a police spokesperson announced on Thursday.

Zhang Ming, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Security, added that travelers using the visa-free scheme jumped 60.8 percent year-on-year compared with pre-policy revision levels.

First launched in December 2024, the program now applies to 55 eligible countries.