New anti-China theory a travesty of truth

Editor's note: Some Western media outlets have been hyping up the "Chinese tourists as weapons" theory to claim that China has used the increasing number of Chinese outbound tourists as an economic weapon to intimidate other countries to realize its diplomatic goals. What is the relationship between bilateral ties and tourism development? Has China influenced other countries with its newly attained economic power? Three experts share their views on the issue with China Daily's Liu Jianna. Excerpts follow:

Western criticism reflects bias against China

Thanks to a relatively resilient economy and a notable increase in Chinese households' disposable incomes, the number of Chinese outbound tourists has shown a remarkable increase over the past years. According to the UN World Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists accounted for almost one-fifth of the world's total tourist spending in 2017. A large tourist population such as China's, combined with their purchasing power, is certain to have a huge impact on a destination country's tourism economy.