Visa-free visits and outbound travel boost mutual understanding

Still hesitating about traveling to, studying in or doing business with China? The following numbers might help change your mind.

In the first half of 2025, foreign nationals made a total of 38.05 million trips to or from China, an increase of 30.2 percent year-on-year, the National Immigration Administration said on Wednesday. Of these trips, 13.64 million were visa-free entries — which is more than the population of a megacity — up 53.9 percent from the same period last year.

These trips accounted for 71.2 percent of all inbound trips made by foreigners in the first half of the year.