https://www.scmp.com/rss/510065/feed Latest news and updates about how China is racing to vaccinate the public and reach herd immunity to enable the country to reopen its borders as part of its economic recovery from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings China announced visa-free entry for Canadian and British nationals on February 17, allowing citizens of the two countries to cross the border and stay for up to 30 days with no more than a passport. The move was just the latest expansion of China’s visa-free policies, which have eased entry rules for citizens of dozens of nations over the past few years as part of an effort to boost tourism. Immigration officials now allow travellers from dozens of countries to stay without a visa for up to 10... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346504/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3346504/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 14 Mar 2026 08:00:09 +0000 Ralph Jennings Ralph Jennings Obtaining a visa to enter mainland China often requires filling out pages of paperwork, paying more than US$100, and waiting days for the documents to be processed. But for a growing number of visitors, some hurdles have been lowered or removed entirely as Beijing continues to relax visa-free entry rules to attract more foreign visitors and boost the nation’s tourism sector. Immigration officials now allow travellers from certain countries who are transiting through China to stay without a visa... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326978/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3326978/here-are-5-ways-enter-china-without-visa-land-sea-or-air?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 27 Sep 2025 06:00:16 +0000 Ruairidh J. Brown Ruairidh J. Brown Following the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, China experienced a sharp drop in the number of international visitors and many foreign residents left the country. International tourism was still below pre-pandemic levels as late as 2024. When tourists did not return in large numbers after it reopened its borders in 2023, China began to take measures to reverse the trend and bring foreigners back, rolling out a unilateral 30-day visa-free entry scheme, which now encompasses 47 countries,... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3313999/smiling-friendly-china-perfect-antidote-trumps-angry-america?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3313999/smiling-friendly-china-perfect-antidote-trumps-angry-america?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 13 Jun 2025 12:30:07 +0000 Dannie Peng Dannie Peng China extended its short-term stay visa exemption policy to four Persian Gulf countries on Wednesday, a day after a landmark summit with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Southeast Asian countries. Starting on June 9, passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain will be permitted to enter China without a visa, according to China’s foreign ministry. Citizens of these countries who intend to stay in China for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits or cultural... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312159/china-offers-visa-free-travel-4-gulf-countries-following-landmark-summit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3312159/china-offers-visa-free-travel-4-gulf-countries-following-landmark-summit?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 May 2025 11:31:50 +0000 In this series of stories to mark five years since Hong Kong recorded its first Covid-19 case on January 22, 2020, the Post looks at how some residents’ lives changed and examines the city’s readiness for the next global pandemic. The Covid-19 pandemic is over, but Hongkonger Eunice To continues to cope with a severe skin condition and health issues she is convinced were triggered by vaccines. The 26-year-old has no proof, and doctors she saw were divided on whether the vaccines could be blamed.... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3295378/hongkongers-worsening-eczema-food-allergies-fuel-her-doubts-over-covid-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3295378/hongkongers-worsening-eczema-food-allergies-fuel-her-doubts-over-covid-jabs?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Jan 2025 09:33:37 +0000 China’s civil aviation industry has turned a profit for the first time since 2020 – a milestone for one of the sectors hit hardest by the Covid-19 pandemic – with officials expressing optimism about its prospects for sustained growth. In 2024, the industry reduced its losses by 20.6 billion yuan (US$2.8 billion) from the previous year and recorded a 25 per cent increase in total traffic, Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) Administrator Song Zhiyong announced at an industry work... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3294287/chinas-aviation-sector-clear-skies-profit-after-four-turbulent-years?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3294287/chinas-aviation-sector-clear-skies-profit-after-four-turbulent-years?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Jan 2025 12:30:13 +0000 Inbound travel to China is expected to increase significantly over the coming Lunar New Year holiday, driven by the country’s expansion of its visa-free entry list and other efforts to attract international visitors and revitalise its tourism sector. According to Trip.com, a major online platform for tourism bookings in the country, total inbound travel purchases for the period – which runs from January 28 to February 4 this year – have increased by over 200 per cent year on year. Bookings from... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3293167/china-preps-inbound-lunar-new-year-travel-surge-after-visa-free-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3293167/china-preps-inbound-lunar-new-year-travel-surge-after-visa-free-expansion?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Jan 2025 03:00:14 +0000 Post-Covid China has become more open to foreign tourists than it has ever been in decades, with Europe so far the main target of Beijing’s expanding unilateral visa-free entrance scheme. That is, except Sweden, Lithuania and the Czech Republic – the only European Union (EU) nations not on the list. Chinese analysts say the omission reflects what Beijing sees as problematic bilateral relations over issues ranging from Taiwan to access to technology. Tensions over the Ukraine war have made... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3292573/china-visa-free-most-europe-not-eu-trio-why?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3292573/china-visa-free-most-europe-not-eu-trio-why?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Dec 2024 02:00:07 +0000 Zhou Xin Zhou Xin China has never been so open to foreign visitors: with its latest visa-free transit policy, passport holders from 54 countries can enter China via 60 ports, visit 24 provincial regions, and stay up to 10 days. This comes after Beijing freed citizens from 38 countries from applying for visas when travelling around the country for up to a month. It is worth noting that half of China’s territory is now open to citizens from developed economies. These include the nation’s most populous areas, its... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3291969/chinas-extended-visa-free-tourist-stays-drive-momentum-opening?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3291969/chinas-extended-visa-free-tourist-stays-drive-momentum-opening?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:00:08 +0000 Cheryl Arcibal Cheryl Arcibal Nina Hospitality, the hotel unit of Hong Kong-based private developer Chinachem Group, is looking to expand into mainland China and overseas markets such as the UK, Australia and Singapore within two years. The company is setting the goal following a 2021 rebranding effort helmed by its new managing director Simon Manning, who joined the company the same year. “Our goal in the short term is to be a leading hospitality group within Hong Kong,” Manning said in an interview with the Post. “But... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3277647/chinachems-nina-hospitality-eyes-uk-singapore-markets-while-hong-kong-regains-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3277647/chinachems-nina-hospitality-eyes-uk-singapore-markets-while-hong-kong-regains-momentum?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Sep 2024 04:30:12 +0000 What a difference a year makes. In June 2023, when my family visited China, we had to deal with a complex Covid-19 declaration, rely on my daughter-in-law to pay for purchases using her WeChat account and go through two travel agents to get our rail tickets. Since then, China has dispensed with pandemic regulations, greatly liberalised visas for foreign visitors, nudged second-tier hotels to accept foreign guests and, importantly, WeChat has opened its payment system to international credit... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3275041/how-china-can-make-life-better-foreign-and-domestic-tourists-alike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3275041/how-china-can-make-life-better-foreign-and-domestic-tourists-alike?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 26 Aug 2024 12:30:10 +0000 The number of travellers into China more than doubled in the first seven months of the year after Beijing eased visa rules for foreigners to try to revive its economy. The National Immigration Administration said on Monday that from January to July, 17.254 million foreigners entered the country through various ports, a year-on-year increase of 129.9 per cent. About 846,000 of those people entered China on “port visas” – visas issued on arrival – up 182.9 per cent on the same time last year. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275056/chinas-relaxed-visa-rules-pay-more-overseas-travellers-arrive?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3275056/chinas-relaxed-visa-rules-pay-more-overseas-travellers-arrive?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Aug 2024 10:37:19 +0000 China is pinning more hopes on the services sector to lift demand and breathe new life into the economy, with a raft of new measures to boost spending in areas ranging from tourism to care for the elderly. In a 20-point directive released on the weekend, the State Council, the country’s cabinet, said it would increase support for nursing care, consider extending visa-free policies to more countries, and encourage “low-altitude tourism” to spur spending on services, a sector that is growing... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3273135/china-looks-new-ways-boost-spending-services-senior-care-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3273135/china-looks-new-ways-boost-spending-services-senior-care-tourism?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 04 Aug 2024 05:46:48 +0000 Danielle Popov Danielle Popov China has been pulling out the stops to bring back tourists after relaxing its zero-Covid restrictions in late 2022. The moves have included expansions of visa-free travel schemes, as well as efforts to optimise payment methods, which have been seen as a hurdle for foreigners who want to spend money in a society that has gone largely cashless in the span of just a few years. What payment options have been eased for foreigners in China? With few businesses accepting international credit cards,... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3272979/how-easily-can-foreigners-travel-china-and-spend-money-august-2024?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3272979/how-easily-can-foreigners-travel-china-and-spend-money-august-2024?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Aug 2024 12:00:10 +0000 “City or not city?”, the humorous meme coined by an American vlogger in China to ask whether a place is fashionable or has the flair of a major city, encapsulates the allure of China’s dynamic and evolving cities – and also its picturesque countryside. Beyond the charm of China’s cities and beauty of its rural scenery lies a deeper sense of excitement and development that is palpable in its culture, economy and society. This phenomenon has captured the world’s attention, providing the emotional... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3272519/chinas-tourism-policy-must-now-go-beyond-visa-free-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3272519/chinas-tourism-policy-must-now-go-beyond-visa-free-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Aug 2024 21:30:12 +0000 The first five-year multi-entry travel permits to enter mainland China have been granted to Hong Kong permanent residents holding foreign passports, with some planning to head across the border as early as next week. The successful applicants, who collected their permits on Wednesday, said the easier access would encourage them to visit the mainland more often for both business and leisure. Among them was Gan Khai Choon, chairman of the Malaysian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau, who... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272617/first-hongkongers-foreign-passports-receive-5-year-permits-visit-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3272617/first-hongkongers-foreign-passports-receive-5-year-permits-visit-mainland-china?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 31 Jul 2024 07:58:57 +0000 Advisers to the Shanghai government have called for restrictions on international performers to be relaxed, while likening superstars like Taylor Swift to “walking GDP”. China’s financial hub has hosted many large-scale, commercial performances in recent years, but “it lacks stars that are weighty, internationally influential or truly appealing to young people”, the counsellors’ office of the Shanghai municipal government said in an article posted on its official WeChat account. Attracting a... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3271037/taylor-swift-walking-gdp-shanghai-urged-shake-curbs-foreign-stars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3271037/taylor-swift-walking-gdp-shanghai-urged-shake-curbs-foreign-stars?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Jul 2024 07:00:12 +0000 At least 600 Hongkongers have signed up to visit Zhongshan and go sightseeing around the Pearl River Delta after authorities announced a new road link would open this weekend. Timothy Chui Ting-pong, director of tour operator Eat Play Travel, said 15 day-trip groups were fully booked for Sunday and Monday, the July 1 public holiday when Hong Kong celebrates the 27th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule. “The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is a new infrastructure project, and many people are eager... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3268446/shenzhen-zhongshan-link-hongkongers-snap-tour-bookings-july-1-travel-sightseeing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3268446/shenzhen-zhongshan-link-hongkongers-snap-tour-bookings-july-1-travel-sightseeing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 28 Jun 2024 07:54:25 +0000 Yulu Ao,Salina Li Yulu Ao,Salina Li A tide of mainland Chinese retail brands expanding in Hong Kong appears to have ebbed, with several food and beverage chains ending their tenancies as their businesses have come under intense pressure. Newcomers need to think hard about the locations they select and how best to cater to local tastes to survive sky-high rents and fierce competition, analysts and industry insiders say. LMM (Ling Meng Meng), a lemon tea brand, closed its first shop in Hong Kong last week, less than a year after... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3267728/mainland-retailers-struggle-survive-hong-kongs-sky-high-rents-fierce-competition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3267728/mainland-retailers-struggle-survive-hong-kongs-sky-high-rents-fierce-competition?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jun 2024 23:00:17 +0000 Beijing has scrapped reservations for most of the Chinese capital’s major tourist attractions in time for the summer holidays as authorities try to revive an industry hit hard by the pandemic. In a notice on Thursday, the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Tourism said that apart from a few exceptions such as the Forbidden City and the National Museum, reservations would no longer be needed for most tourist sites. It said the decision was an attempt to “further improve the basic services of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3267653/beijing-scraps-reservation-system-most-tourist-sites-time-summer-travel-season?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3267653/beijing-scraps-reservation-system-most-tourist-sites-time-summer-travel-season?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 22 Jun 2024 10:00:18 +0000 Salina Li Salina Li Hong Kong beauty products retailer Sa Sa International saw its profit jump almost fourfold in the last financial year as the number of mainland Chinese tourists returning to shop in the city continued to rise. The company said on Thursday it is cautious about opening new stores in the city, however, as the retail environment remains challenging in the absence of supportive government policies. The cosmetics chain reported a gain of 276 per cent in earnings to HK$218.9 million (US$28 million) for... https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3267399/beauty-chain-sa-sas-profit-soars-mainland-tourists-return-shop-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/3267399/beauty-chain-sa-sas-profit-soars-mainland-tourists-return-shop-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Jun 2024 11:34:07 +0000 Amid strained relations between mainland China and Taiwan, a forum in Xiamen, at the front line of cross-strait integration, reveals fewer Taiwanese people are travelling to mainland China, and they are proceeding with caution, concern and limited transport options. Getting to Taipei-controlled Quemoy Island from Fujian province in mainland China’s southeast is an 18km (9.7 nautical mile) trip taking less than half an hour from the Wutong ferry terminal in the port city of Xiamen. With the ferry... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3266949/taiwan-forum-reveals-state-cross-strait-travel-and-how-boost-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3266949/taiwan-forum-reveals-state-cross-strait-travel-and-how-boost-it?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Jun 2024 10:39:19 +0000 Two years after an extended lockdown of Shanghai under the nation’s dynamic zero-Covid policy led to an exodus of expatriates, mainland China’s most international city is finally re-embracing a bustle of overseas visitors. More foreigners from a variety of countries have been seen in the city’s main streets and at tourist attractions in recent months, capitalising on China’s loosening of visa policies to lure back tourists – and their wallets – amid an economic downturn. However, much fewer are... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3266049/china-changing-foreigners-return-shanghai-theyre-here-good-time-not-long-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3266049/china-changing-foreigners-return-shanghai-theyre-here-good-time-not-long-time?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 10 Jun 2024 22:00:16 +0000 For affluent middle-class Chinese, 2024 may be the year they are most inclined to take action on emigration – seeing this as the final call for “the easy train” to a fresh start overseas – as some fear that the immigration outlook abroad could become derailed by factors beyond their control. Dr Thomas Shen is among those who now see the light at the end of the tunnel growing dimmer with time. The deputy chief physician at a top-tier hospital in southern China’s Shenzhen recently decided to apply... https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3265627/chinas-eager-emigrants-fomo-real-and-move-overseas-may-be-now-or-never?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/economic-indicators/article/3265627/chinas-eager-emigrants-fomo-real-and-move-overseas-may-be-now-or-never?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 06 Jun 2024 22:00:16 +0000 Hong Kong should launch more direct flights to eight mainland Chinese cities recently added to a solo traveller scheme, industry players have said, urging an active response to Beijing’s favourable measures to boost the local economy. Mainland authorities earlier announced that residents from Taiyuan, Hohhot, Harbin, Lhasa, Lanzhou, Xining, Yinchuan and Urumqi could apply to visit Hong Kong from Monday without the need to join a tour group. Only four locations have non-stop flights to Hong Kong... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3264997/hong-kongs-cathay-pacific-needs-launch-more-direct-flights-8-mainland-chinese-cities-newly-added?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3264997/hong-kongs-cathay-pacific-needs-launch-more-direct-flights-8-mainland-chinese-cities-newly-added?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Jun 2024 08:00:09 +0000 The National Museum of China, which houses the richest collection of Chinese cultural relics, has long been a top attraction for domestic and overseas tourists. But, to the detriment of foreign visitors, they must pre-book by choosing a time slot and registering their information through the museum’s Chinese-language “mini-programme” – an application that functions within the WeChat super app. This and other similar systems were developed during the Covid-19 pandemic when there were no... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3264932/foreign-visitors-find-barrier-entry-chinas-museums-which-may-translate-losses-tourism-industry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3264932/foreign-visitors-find-barrier-entry-chinas-museums-which-may-translate-losses-tourism-industry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 31 May 2024 22:00:15 +0000 In the last year, Henry Zhu has had to say goodbye to dozens of colleagues. His employer, an independent clinical laboratory in Shanghai, has drastically scaled down its workforce as a Covid-induced boom has waned and demand for testing services has plummeted. The lab's current team is just a third of what it was in the pandemic peak, and pay for certain diagnostics – particularly the polymerase chain reaction tests which became an inescapable part of life for Chinese people during the pandemic... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3262932/chinas-medical-testing-sector-scales-down-pandemic-peak-rear-view?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3262932/chinas-medical-testing-sector-scales-down-pandemic-peak-rear-view?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 May 2024 22:30:17 +0000 Foreign visitors are now allowed to stay in China for up to 15 days without a visa if they reach via international cruises, Beijing announced on Wednesday in its latest attempt to buoy the cruise industry and boost inbound travel. Coming into effect on the same day, the new regulations allow foreigners travelling in tour groups of at least two people to enter China visa-free through all 13 cruise ports in the country, from Liaoning province’s Dalian in the north to Hainan island’s Sanya in the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3262784/visa-free-china-entry-approved-all-cruise-ports-letting-tourists-stay-15-days?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3262784/visa-free-china-entry-approved-all-cruise-ports-letting-tourists-stay-15-days?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 May 2024 02:00:13 +0000 Ma Xiaowei, China’s health minister who handled the country’s Covid-19 response, has stepped down as he nears official retirement age, to be succeeded by his top deputy, Lei Haichao, a prominent public health expert. On Monday, the National Health Commission’s website showed deputy director Lei, 56, had been appointed Communist Party secretary of the NHC – a step before a formal directorship appointment. Ma’s name was removed from the commission’s leadership page at the same time. In December he... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3261564/chinese-health-chief-ma-xiaowei-steps-down-after-steering-nation-through-pandemic-and-defending?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3261564/chinese-health-chief-ma-xiaowei-steps-down-after-steering-nation-through-pandemic-and-defending?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 May 2024 09:00:24 +0000 Inbound tourist spending through the mobile payment app Alipay surged during the Labour Day holiday in China this year, according to the app’s owner Ant Group, as overseas tourists slowly return to the country after the pandemic. Spending that international travellers made with Alipay during the Labour Day “golden week” across mainland China jumped 700 per cent year on year, Ant said in a statement on Sunday. Ant is the fintech affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding, owner of the South China Morning... https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3261529/foreigners-spend-700-more-alipay-china-over-labour-day-holiday-inbound-tourism-slowly-recovers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3261529/foreigners-spend-700-more-alipay-china-over-labour-day-holiday-inbound-tourism-slowly-recovers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 May 2024 04:04:24 +0000 Yum China Holdings, which owns the KFC and Pizza Hut restaurant chains in mainland China, plans to open more stores in “untapped” parts of the country where it hopes its low-price strategy will appeal to vast numbers of less affluent customers. The fast-food behemoth said 30 per cent of its 1,500 to 1,700 new outlets to be established this year would be located in lower-tier cities or strategic places such as transport hubs or tourist destinations. “Operating under a near-term challenging... https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3260956/kfc-pizza-hut-owner-yum-china-plans-stores-countrys-untapped-smaller-cities-consumers-tighten-their?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/china-business/article/3260956/kfc-pizza-hut-owner-yum-china-plans-stores-countrys-untapped-smaller-cities-consumers-tighten-their?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Apr 2024 11:30:19 +0000 Foreign travellers made four times more trips in and out of China in the first quarter of the year but the total remained below pre-pandemic levels, according to official data. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Thursday that more than 13 million foreigners crossed the border into or out of mainland China in the first three months of the year, compared with 3.22 million at the same time last year, soon after Beijing abandoned most of its Covid-19 border control measures. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259485/china-reports-4-times-more-cross-border-trips-foreigners-total-still-below-pre-pandemic-levels?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3259485/china-reports-4-times-more-cross-border-trips-foreigners-total-still-below-pre-pandemic-levels?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Apr 2024 10:41:48 +0000 Swire Properties is shutting down the group’s first ever hotel, The Opposite House in Beijing, after 16 years to make way for an “innovative retail landmark”, according to a spokesman. Located in the upmarket Taikoo Li Sanlitun (TLS) area in the Chinese capital, the 99-room hotel, which is known for its emerald glass architecture designed by renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, will cease operations on June 30. “The latest plan represents Swire Properties’ long-term commitment to Sanlitun,... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3258296/swire-properties-close-opposite-house-beijing-groups-first-hotel-it-eyes-redevelopment-retail?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3258296/swire-properties-close-opposite-house-beijing-groups-first-hotel-it-eyes-redevelopment-retail?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 09 Apr 2024 02:38:36 +0000 In the first two months of 2024, foreign passport holders made 2.95 million trips to or from China, a notable increase due in part to the country’s new visa-free entry policies, according to an official from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Shi Zeyi, deputy director of the ministry’s bureau of international exchange and cooperation, said on Friday that the figure was 2.3 times more than in the November-December period and 41.5 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. “During the Spring Festival... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257249/china-reports-more-trips-foreign-travellers-first-two-months-2024-visa-free-policies-take-effect?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3257249/china-reports-more-trips-foreign-travellers-first-two-months-2024-visa-free-policies-take-effect?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Mar 2024 11:00:27 +0000 As China strives to make border crossings easier, with an eye on elevating economic growth in the face of considerable headwinds, international flights have seen a steady rise in recent months. And the numbers are getting closer to what was seen before the pandemic. Passenger loads coinciding with the travel-intensive Lunar New Year holiday last month also reflected what analysts say has been a gradual rekindling of interest among Chinese travellers in foreign destinations following the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3255824/china-international-flights-are-finally-starting-bounce-back-buoyed-easing-border-controls-and-need?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3255824/china-international-flights-are-finally-starting-bounce-back-buoyed-easing-border-controls-and-need?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 18 Mar 2024 10:00:03 +0000 AIA Group’s policy sales in Hong Kong and mainland China continued to grow in the first two months of the year, indicating strong momentum from last year is carrying over in the insurer’s two major markets, according to its top boss. The company on Thursday reported a 15 per cent profit jump last year, benefiting from demand for insurance products from the return of mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong in search of better returns and as a hedge against a weakening yuan. “We are seeing good... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3255300/insurer-aias-profit-jumps-15-strong-policy-sales-mainland-chinese-visitors-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3255300/insurer-aias-profit-jumps-15-strong-policy-sales-mainland-chinese-visitors-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 14 Mar 2024 02:16:30 +0000 Beijing could allow more mainland Chinese tourists to visit Hong Kong by expansion of its solo traveller scheme as it “responds proactively” to the city government’s request for more cross-border tourists, the Post has learned. The news on Wednesday from a government source came after No 2 official Eric Chan Kwok-ki said at the weekend the city was in talks with mainland authorities on widening the scheme to allow more residents of second- and third-tier cities to visit Hong Kong, with the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3252755/beijing-make-it-easier-solo-travellers-mainland-china-visit-hong-kong-source?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3252755/beijing-make-it-easier-solo-travellers-mainland-china-visit-hong-kong-source?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Feb 2024 16:24:11 +0000 Mainland Chinese tourists spent HK$59 billion (US$7.6 billion) on insurance policies in Hong Kong last year, the Insurance Authority (IA) said. Policy sales have been boosted by the reopening of the mainland border, a weakening yuan and the interest rate gap between China and the United States, the IA added. But sales are expected to drop to the normal levels recorded between 2017 and 2019 of about HK$43 billion and HK$51 billion a year, as “pent-up” demand fades. “Sales to mainland visitors... https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3252469/mainland-chinese-customers-spent-us76-billion-hong-kong-insurance-policies-last-year-sales-fall-pent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3252469/mainland-chinese-customers-spent-us76-billion-hong-kong-insurance-policies-last-year-sales-fall-pent?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Feb 2024 00:30:10 +0000 The stranding of mainland tourists after the New Year’s Eve fireworks has turned out to have a silver lining, prompting the authorities to extend the opening hours of two border crossings during Lunar New Year to avoid a repeat of embarrassing scenes. It all went smoothly, making a strong case for officials to not only repeat the extensions at the Shenzhen Bay and Lo Wu crossings, but also seriously consider adopting the measure at other checkpoints. This is one of the highlights of the holiday... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3251981/extended-hours-mainland-china-border-ease-hong-kongs-lunar-new-year-travel-woes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3251981/extended-hours-mainland-china-border-ease-hong-kongs-lunar-new-year-travel-woes?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 14 Feb 2024 22:15:08 +0000 China has expanded its visa-free policy for Hainan beyond tourism to various travel purposes as it seeks to transform the southern island into a major free-trade port. From Friday, passport holders from 59 countries will be able to enter Hainan for business, family visits, medical treatment, exhibitions and sporting events – as well as tourism – for up to 30 days without a visa. According to the National Immigration Administration (NIA), such travellers can land on the duty-free hub via any of... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251561/china-opens-hainan-more-kinds-visa-free-travel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251561/china-opens-hainan-more-kinds-visa-free-travel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 09 Feb 2024 12:00:13 +0000 French national Marc Guyon travelled to China on the first day that Beijing began allowing citizens of his homeland to enter visa-free. For his weeklong trip to Shanghai and Beijing in early December, the Hong Kong-based gym operator saved himself from having to wait three months – at a cost of at least HK$1,500 (US$192) – for a mainland Chinese visa, as had been previously required. And during that trip, the 39-year-old spent more than HK$10,000 while visiting fellow French people living on the... https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3251008/china-visa-free-travel-relaxing-entry-restrictions-adds-additional-stimulus-eyed-more-inbound-trips?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3251008/china-visa-free-travel-relaxing-entry-restrictions-adds-additional-stimulus-eyed-more-inbound-trips?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Feb 2024 22:00:33 +0000 Lunar New Year travel in and out of mainland China is projected to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, with the number of trips expected to triple compared to last year, according to immigration authorities. The travel surge is expected despite what forecasters say will be “complex” winter weather over the holiday. The National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on Monday it expected an average of 1.8 million inbound and outbound trips a day during the eight-day holiday period starting on... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251005/chinas-cross-border-trips-during-lunar-new-year-hit-pre-pandemic-levels-authorities-project?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3251005/chinas-cross-border-trips-during-lunar-new-year-hit-pre-pandemic-levels-authorities-project?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Feb 2024 09:59:07 +0000 A year after China fully reopened after its strict Covid-19 controls, the number of foreign residents in the country is 15 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, according to official data released on Thursday. National Immigration Administration (NIA) spokeswoman Zhang Ning said the number of foreign nationals residing in China “has rebounded to 85 per cent of the level at the end of 2019”. The NIA data also showed that Chinese authorities issued a total of 711,000 residency permits of various... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248893/foreign-visitor-numbers-yet-reach-chinas-pre-pandemic-levels-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248893/foreign-visitor-numbers-yet-reach-chinas-pre-pandemic-levels-data-shows?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 18 Jan 2024 06:55:48 +0000 China has issued a basket of new policies to further relax entry and visa procedures, including transit rules and extensions of stay for foreign nationals. The latest step in China’s bid to draw more overseas visitors and restore people-to-people exchanges is part of wider efforts to boost post-pandemic recovery in the world’s No 2 economy. The package was released by National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Thursday. It comes five months after Beijing relaxed a wide range of controls... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248107/china-relaxes-visa-rules-further-boost-tourism-business-travel-economy-falters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3248107/china-relaxes-visa-rules-further-boost-tourism-business-travel-economy-falters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Jan 2024 11:58:24 +0000 When Beijing last month introduced a new policy to allow travellers from six countries visa-free entry to China for 15 days, Paul Le Guyader was taken by surprise. Le Guyader, founder of China Roads, a French travel agency based in Dinan that specialises in selling trips to China, said the unexpected move had exceeded expectations, with inquiries last month up 20 per cent compared to pre-Covid levels. “It’s only a one-year policy, no one knows what will happen one year later, so we persuade our... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247695/chinas-visa-free-offer-boosts-inbound-travel-chinese-tourists-still-prefer-stay-home?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3247695/chinas-visa-free-offer-boosts-inbound-travel-chinese-tourists-still-prefer-stay-home?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Jan 2024 10:55:08 +0000 China’s economic performance over the last year has been disappointing, so much so that some observers argue that growth has already peaked and that it is all downhill from here. But it is far too soon to write off China’s economic resilience. As 2023 began, the lifting of draconian “zero-Covid” restrictions fuelled a kind of domestic euphoria. But the picture soon darkened, with the second quarter bringing declining exports, stagnating retail sales, shrinking corporate profits, local-government... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247365/reports-chinese-economic-miracles-demise-are-greatly-exaggerated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3247365/reports-chinese-economic-miracles-demise-are-greatly-exaggerated?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 05 Jan 2024 09:30:31 +0000 The chaos that reigned as thousands of mainland Chinese tourists tried to head home after watching the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Hong Kong only to be delayed or stranded at the border has sparked calls for better connections. The Hong Kong government a day after the transport trouble said it hoped to negotiate with its mainland counterpart over an extension to operating hours at checkpoints connected to rail services and adding more that offered round-the-clock services. Authorities also... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3247206/how-hong-kong-hopes-avoid-repeat-new-years-eves-border-chaos-and-why-easier-crossings-can-be-double?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/transport/article/3247206/how-hong-kong-hopes-avoid-repeat-new-years-eves-border-chaos-and-why-easier-crossings-can-be-double?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Jan 2024 02:30:21 +0000 Hong Kong restaurants have been dealt a double blow by a weak tourist influx and growing trend of residents spending across the border, with an industry leader saying business on New Year’s Eve dropped by 10 per cent. Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, on Tuesday said the catering industry recorded HK$380 million (US$48.7 million) in revenue on Sunday, compared with the HK$420 million registered on New Year’s Eve the year before. “The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3247048/its-very-quiet-hong-kong-restaurants-dealt-double-blow-new-years-eve-weak-tourist-influx-trend?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3247048/its-very-quiet-hong-kong-restaurants-dealt-double-blow-new-years-eve-weak-tourist-influx-trend?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 02 Jan 2024 13:51:46 +0000 China’s immigration authorities have predicted that cross-border travel over the New Year holiday will soar to five times the number recorded last year. The period between December 30 and January 1 is expected to see a peak in border crossings across the country, with an average of 1.56 million entries and exits per day, the National Immigration Administration said in a notice on Thursday. That would equal about 90 per cent of the level recorded in 2019, before the Covid-19 pandemic swept across... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246514/chinas-cross-border-new-year-holiday-travel-hit-90-pre-covid-level-authorities-predict?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3246514/chinas-cross-border-new-year-holiday-travel-hit-90-pre-covid-level-authorities-predict?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Dec 2023 08:18:21 +0000 Singapore remained the world’s most expensive city, taking pole position for the ninth time in 11 years, while Hong Kong slipped one notch to rank fifth among 173 countries, according to a study by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU). Southeast Asia’s financial hub tied with the Swiss city of Zurich as the world’s priciest place to live in the latest edition of the survey, which has been carried out for more than 30 years. “While Zurich’s rise reflects the strength of the Swiss franc and high... https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3243370/singapore-ties-zurich-worlds-most-expensive-city-live-while-hong-kong-slips-one-spot-fifth-latest?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3243370/singapore-ties-zurich-worlds-most-expensive-city-live-while-hong-kong-slips-one-spot-fifth-latest?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 30 Nov 2023 13:30:09 +0000