China sees surge in entry, exit trips

Tourists of the first tour group from Hong Kong pose for a group photo with souvenirs in their hands at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

BEIJING, March 8 (Xinhua) -- Immigration authorities across China had handled 39.722 million exits and entries as of Tuesday since Jan. 8 this year, up 112.4 percent year on year, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said Wednesday.

China started managing COVID-19 as a Class B infectious disease on Jan. 8 this year.

NIA statistics showed that over 1.01 million exit and entry trips were recorded on Feb. 25, the first single-day figure exceeding 1 million since 2020.

The number of inbound and outbound trips made by various means of transportation totalled 2.487 million in the same period, a year-on-year increase of 59.3 percent, said the NIA.

Immigration authorities across China issued over 3.36 million passports; over 12.67 million certificates for travel between the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan; and 122,000 visas, stay permits and residence permits for foreign nationals; up 1,220.9 percent, 837.7 percent and 33.1 percent, respectively, compared with the figures before China downgraded its management of COVID-19.