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From the "crazy Fridays" of Koreans crowding the streets of Shanghai to "Thai tourists flooding the magical city of Chongqing," over the past year, China's expanding visa-free policy has fueled a surge in foreign travels to the country, making "China travel" a new global trend. As the Global Times learned on Sunday from Qunar, a major Chinese online travel agency, the number of domestic flight bookings made by foreign travelers has nearly tripled compared with 2023, with those from the US, Russia, Canada, South Korea and Australia ranking in the top five.

With the further relaxation of the visa-free transit policy announced on December 17, it is expected that foreign visitors will be able to have a more fulfilling experience in China, as lesser-known small and medium-sized cities - particularly those rich in culture - will become the prioritized choice for many, predicted Trip.com Group, one of the largest travel agencies in the country.

China announced a significant expansion of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Effective immediately, 21 additional ports have been designated for visa-free entry and exit, and the areas in which transit travelers can stay have been expanded. Under the updated policies, eligible citizens from 54 countries can enter China visa-free when transiting to a third country or region, according to a statement from the National Immigration Administration.

Compared with the previous 72/144-hour visa-free transit policies, a most significant feature of this policy adjustment is the extension of the stay duration, allowing more cross-regional and in-depth travel. Additionally, five inland provinces - Shanxi, Anhui, Jiangxi, Guizhou, and Hainan - have been added as visa-free transit destinations. And the eligible areas for stay in Fujian, Hubei, and Shaanxi provinces have been expanded to cover the entire province, while the stay area in Guangxi has been extended to 12 administrative cities.

Half an hour after the announcement, the search interest for Chinese destinations on Trip.com Group's overseas platforms surged by 85 percent in Europe, 163 percent in the Americas, and 116 percent in the Asia-Pacific region. France, Canada and Russia topped the list with the highest increases in search interest, the agency told the Global Times.

It added that the growth rate of inbound tourism to China has more than doubled compared to 2023, with a staggering 189 percent increase from the 54 visa-free countries, outpacing the overall market. This year, Italy, Spain, Russia, Iceland and Singapore have emerged as the top five countries with the fastest growth in inbound travels among the 54 nations. Additionally, one in four foreign travelers has previously visited China.

On the Qunar platform, among travelers using non-Chinese passports to book domestic flights, those from the US, Russia, Canada, South Korea and Australia rank as the top five in terms of booking volume. Notably, there has been a significant increase in bookings from travelers holding passports from Malaysia, Japan and Kazakhstan, with growth rates exceeding 200 percent.

The visa policy relaxation has also brought about new changes as for destination choices. The tag "Heading for China after work on Friday" has seen more than 518,000 notes posted on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, as people upload videos and photos of Korean visitors taking selfies in front of the gate of Korean Provisional Government, tasting local cuisines, and strolling through the Yuyuan Garden while putting on hanfu - the traditional styles of clothing in ancient China.

In addition to major cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, more second-tier cities including Chengdu, Chongqing, Hangzhou and Xi'an have recently become favorites for foreign tourists. According to the Pheonix Weekly, the mountainous city of Chongqing has recently become the "secret code" for gaining online traffic, as young Thais "punch in" every single scenic spot of this city.

Moreover, destinations with unique cultural and natural beauties like Zhangjiajie, Lijiang and Shangri-La are also attracting more foreign visitors. 

"Cultural tours and ancient architecture tours will be more popular. With the game 'Black Myth: Wukong' gaining international attention, attractions like Xiaoxitian shown in the game will also become a big hit," said Sun Bowen, executive secretary-general of the Trip.com Research Institute and General Manager of Inbound Tourism.

Sun predicted that cross-regional deep travel by foreigners in China will become the next trend following the updated policy. 

The National Immigration Administration announced on Saturday that with the optimization of visa policies for foreigners and the convenience policies for mainland residents traveling to Hong Kong and Macao, ports across the nation are expected to experience a peak in inbound and outbound passenger flow during the upcoming New Year's Day holidays, China News Service reported.

The peak period is anticipated to be concentrated on the evening of December 31, 2024, and January 1, 2025, with an average of 2.05 million travelers entering and exiting daily, representing an 18.8 percent increase compared to the same period last year, according to the administration.

Spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs  Lin Jian on Friday slammed Western media saying that chili pepper products sold in UK and US supermarkets contain ingredients from Xinjiang are probably produced using "forced labor" by citing a report by an anti-China academic Adrian Zenz, noting that the so-called report mentioned by certain media outlets is deeply flawed, and it pretentiously quotes some vague accounts by so-called anonymous witnesses, but does not provide any factual basis, and even lacks the most basic field investigation.

Lin said that, the fact is, the farming process of chili peppers in Xinjiang has largely been mechanized already in some major production areas, 100 percent of the chili peppers are now harvested by machines. "Is the report suggesting that there is 'forced machine labor?'" he asked.

Earlier this week, an international symposium on employment and social security was held in Urumqi, said Lin, noting that more than 200 participants from over 40 countries, regions and international organizations attended the event, and many said the Xinjiang they saw is very much different from the false propaganda they had seen from sources outside China.

"They condemned the 'forced labor' narrative, calling it a lie that deprives people in Xinjiang of their right to work, subsistence and development," Lin said. 

Lin stated that from cotton to tomato and now to chili pepper, a handful of Western media and long-time disinformation manufacturers have concocted one lie after another about Xinjiang. 

"But what's made up will not hide the truth; and a lie is still a lie even if it's told a thousand times. For those behind these same old clumsy theatrics, it is high time they quit this 'creative' business for good," Lin said. 

One year on, Ma Zhongli still has nightmares about the day his tile-roofed house collapsed.

At 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 18, 2023, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck the Bonan-Dongxiang-Salar Autonomous County of Jishishan in northwest China's Gansu Province.

The quake flattened Ma's home, taking with it not only his belongings but also his beloved wife. Across Gansu and neighboring Qinghai Province, over 150 lives were lost in the disaster.

"Even now, the day of the quake remains very clear," said 68-year-old Ma. "But I began to feel that the home I lost in my heart is slowly being rebuilt, piece by piece. Life has to go on."

In just five months, Ma's destroyed property was replaced with a newly built two-story house, complete with modern amenities, including running water, flush toilets, and air-source heat pumps. The cost of rebuilding -- about 200,000 yuan (27,800 U.S. dollars) -- was met thanks to a government subsidy of 75,000 yuan and a 50,000 yuan low-interest loan.

Ma is a perfect example of the county's residents, who are leaving behind their tragic past and starting new lives.
QUICK RECONSTRUCTION

Located at the crossroads of Gansu and Qinghai provinces, Jishishan is home to 280,000 people. It was hit hardest by the December quake, with more than 240,000 people directly affected and over 230,000 houses damaged.

China is among those countries most impacted by natural disasters, and has greatly improved its ability to deal with such crises and the post-disaster reconstruction.

In Jishishan, water, power, transportation and communication services were restored within 18 hours following the quake, while temporary prefab housing for affected residents was largely set up in just 8 days.

The local government launched more than 180 recovery projects in March. "Priority was given to those addressing housing, education and healthcare needs," said Ma Xiaolu, Party chief of the county.

The rebuilding process was anything but easy. Jishishan is nestled among the mountains at a maximum altitude of over 4,000 meters. The area is extremely cold, and since January, the county has seen 129 days of rainfall, including 25 wet days in September alone.
Despite these challenges, the speed of recovery has amazed many.

In some eight months, more than 17,000 workers labored around the clock, completing repairs on 28,927 households, rebuilding homes for 10,080 families on their original sites, and building 10,015 new houses in 13 resettlement areas.

Within 70-plus days, the county completed repairs on 209 schools, while 21 new schools were built in five months.

Relocation is more than just moving into a new home. It's a shift in lifestyle and mindset for residents who once lived in the mountains.

When Xinhua reporters visited the home of 73-year-old Chen Yulan, a resident of Dahe Village, the living room was bathed in sunlight streaming through large windows. It was furnished with a television, refrigerator and other essentials.

"My life has changed so much, and I've been doing my best to adapt, like learning to use a flush toilet and a gas stove," Chen said. "My grandson's school is much closer, and my son found better-paying work nearby."

"Wherever we are together as a family, that's home," Chen said.
"The efficient post-disaster reconstruction shows China's people-centered governance philosophy and institutional advantage of pooling resources to accomplish major undertakings," said Mao Jinhuang, a professor at the School of Economics under Lanzhou University.

Central to this recovery were the efforts of Communist Party of China members, who are often on the front lines during crises. In Jishishan, their active involvement was no exception, Ma Xiaolu said.

From the moment the quake struck, Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, which administers Jishishan, activated its emergency response mechanism without delay. More than 2,600 county and township-level cadres were mobilized to spearhead rescue and reconstruction efforts.

NEW LIVES DESPITE CHALLENGES

Two months ago, Chai Yongzhong, a resident of Shiyuan Village, moved into his new house. Yet uncertainty lingered. What would the source of his income be in the future?

At 49, Chai was once one of the largest sheep farmers in the village. But the earthquake changed everything. His house and mud-brick sheep pen were reduced to rubble, forcing him to sell nearly all his flock.

Jishishan was once considered one of China's most impoverished regions. The local economy has long been fragile, and the earthquake further compounded the difficulties for farmers like Chai.

In response, the county has prioritized industrial transformation in its recovery efforts, focusing on modern agriculture, livestock breeding, and the development of greenhouses.

Next to his new home, Chai built a 95-square-meter modernized sheep pen. With policy subsidies, he received 33,000 yuan to help with the construction, and further support is available to help him restock his herd.

"We'll take it step by step," Chai said with a smile. "Soon, things will get back on track."

A 196-mu (13.07-hectare) cattle-and-sheep breeding center was established in Chenjia Village. The center currently houses 4,250 breeding ewes and 800 cows. It will benefit over 700 relocated families and provide quality livestock to farmers at prices below market rates.
Meanwhile, in Hejia Village, more than 70 steel-framed greenhouses are scattered around. Inside, relocated villagers tend rows of zucchini, cucumbers and melons, many of which have already hit the market.

"Over 30 nearby residents come to work here every day, each earning 100 yuan per day. Once they master the farming techniques, they can apply to lease a greenhouse," said Zhang Tongbiao, who manages the greenhouses.

Ma Zhongli's son now takes on odd jobs nearby, and Ma lives with her daughter-in-law, Ma Gashe, and three grandchildren in their new home. By the window, pots of hydrangeas bloom in vibrant red clusters, while two trees in the yard, pruned and wrapped in insulation strips, stand ready for the arrival of spring.

On her phone, Ma Gashe keeps photos of their old home, with its lush garden that her late mother-in-law lovingly cared for. "I hope this home will also become a place of beauty and life, just like the old one," she said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Friday China supports the early realization of peace in Syria, and supports the country in finding a rebuilding plan that meets the wishes of the people through inclusive dialogue.

Wang made the remarks when asked about China's views on the current situation in Syria during a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty after the China-Egypt foreign ministers' strategic dialogue in Beijing.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China is highly concerned about the situation in Syria, which has been volatile recently.

China has long pursued a policy of friendship and cooperation with Syria, never interfered in Syria's internal affairs, and respected the choice of the Syrian people, he said.

"We support Syria in realizing peace at the earliest, implementing Security Council resolution 2254, advancing the domestic political process in accordance with the principle of 'Syrian-led, Syrian-owned', and finding a rebuilding plan that meets the wishes of the people through inclusive dialogue," said the minister.

Wang added that the future Syria should firmly oppose all forms of terrorism and extremist forces. Meanwhile, the international community should earnestly safeguard Syria's sovereignty and territorial integrity, respect Syria's ethnic and religious traditions, and allow the Syrian people to make independent decisions.

All countries should work together to extend a helping hand to Syria, push for the lifting of the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on the country over the years, and ease its grave humanitarian situation, Wang said.

The Global Times Annual Conference 2025, themed "Moving forward in Partnership: Resonance of Values between China and the World," is held in Beijing on Saturday. In the first session, experts and scholars engaged in discussions on the topic "Exploring the path of great power relations: differences and consensus."

Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University, said that there are three key points to watch in major power relations next year. First, China and the US will enter a new round of competition. While the strategic challenges are severe, there are some tactical opportunities. Second, in terms of ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, US-Russia relations will undergo some loosening and adjustments. Third, China's relations with other major powers will face new opportunities, and the overall diplomatic environment facing China will see significant improvements.

Regarding China-US relations, Wu emphasized that the development of the relationship follows its own historical logic. At certain stages, cooperation between the two countries was more prominent, driven by the balance of power and mutual interests. Currently, China and the US have entered what the US terms a "strategic competition" phase, which, in reality, is a period of US' efforts to contain and suppress China. While this phase is not what we hope for, it is, in some sense, consistent with the logic of great power relations.

In Wu's view, whether under a Democratic or Republican administration, US' basic positioning toward China and the fundamental design of its China policy will not change in the short term. However, from a longer-term perspective, the strategic competition between China and the US shows periodical characteristics. Wu noted that in the future, the US may realize that its efforts to contain and suppress China have not been effective, and that the cost to its own interests is too high and unsustainable, stressing that in that case, the US policy toward China will likely be adjusted.

An article by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, on deeply advancing the Party's self-reform will be published on Monday.

The article by Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, will be published in this year's 24th issue of the Qiushi Journal, a flagship magazine of the CPC Central Committee. 

China announced on Tuesday a significant relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, extending the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days.

The US insisted on arranging Lai's "transit" to offer platform for "Taiwan independence" separatist activities, seriously violating the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, undermining China's sovereignty and territorial integrity, and sending a seriously wrong signal to the "Taiwan independence" separatist forces. China strongly protests this and has lodged a stern representation with the US, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press conference on Friday.

Taiwan regional Leader Lai Ching-te is reportedly completing "transiting" through Hawaii and Guam and is scheduled to return to the island on Friday.

Lin said the Taiwan question is the primary, non-negotiable red line in China-US relations. The actions of "Taiwan independence" are incompatible with peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

China urges the US to adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, honor US leaders' commitments not to support "Taiwan independence," cease official exchanges between the US and the island of Taiwan, stop hollowing out or undermining the one-China principle, and cease any form of support or tolerance for "Taiwan independence" separatist forces and their activities and take concrete actions to stabilize China-US relations and maintain peace in the Taiwan Straits, said the spokesperson.

Any attempt to rely on the US for "independence" will hit a wall, and any efforts to use Taiwan island to contain China are bound to fail, Lin said.

In response to another inquiry on whether the mainland is planning to conduct more military exercises surrounding Taiwan island as Taiwan regional leader Lai Ching-te has completed "transiting" through Hawaii and Guam, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the Taiwan question is at the core of China's core interests and the foremost, non-negotiable red line in China-US relations. China's determination to defend its national sovereignty and territorial integrity is unwavering.

Previously some Taiwan local media claimed that the mainland military is poised to "encircle Taiwan proper in military exercise 'Joint Sword-2024C,'" as Lai returns from his visit to "diplomatic allies" in the Pacific via "transit" through Hawaii and Guam.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Palau on Friday, Lai claimed that the two sides of the Taiwan Straits are "not subordinate to each other," which Lin also refuted on Friday, saying that the separatist activities of the "Taiwan independence" forces and the connivance and support from external forces are the greatest threats to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

Lai and the DPP authorities have consistently used various pretexts to promote "Taiwan independence" separatism. Regardless of what they say or do, they cannot change the fact that Taiwan is a part of China, nor can they stop the historical trend that China will be and must be reunified. The attempt to rely on external forces for independence is doomed to fail, Lin said.

Also on Friday, Lai claimed that he is confident in deepening cooperation with the next Trump administration in the US. The day before, he had a phone call with US House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson.

In response, Lin said that China has repeatedly stated its firm position on this matter. We urge the US to recognize the "Taiwan independence" separatist nature of Lai Ching-te and the DPP authorities, and the serious harm that "Taiwan independence" separatist actions pose to peace and stability in the Taiwan Straits.

The US should adhere to the one-China principle and the three China-US Joint Communiqués, stop interfering in Taiwan affairs, stop meddling in China's internal affairs, and cease supporting or conniving "Taiwan independence" separatist forces, said Lin.

Pangolin decoction pieces remain ineligible for medical insurance coverage and drugs containing pangolin ingredients must not be newly included in medical insurance coverage, according to a recent notice by three central departments in China to strengthen pangolin protection and management efforts and enhance their conservation. 

The notice, jointly released by the National Forestry and Grassland Administration, the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the National Medical Products Administration, was made public through the National Medical Products Administration's official WeChat account on Wednesday. 

The Chinese government attaches great importance to pangolin conservation. On June 3, 2020, all species of pangolins were elevated to the status of nationally protected wildlife. Pangolin scales are seen in traditional Chinese medicine to promote lactation and impotence.  

The notice calls for strengthening the National Forestry and Grassland Administration's pangolin protection and research center, establishing pangolin artificial breeding bases and germplasm resource banks, jointly tackling key technologies for pangolin artificial breeding, and achieving significant progress in building pangolin breeding populations. 

Research institutions, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies are encouraged and supported to jointly carry out research on substitutes for pangolin scales, the notice reads. 

China's efforts in protecting pangolins have been consistent. The newly-released documents highlight the Chinese government's intention to seek alternatives of pangolins in the use of medicine, Sun Quanhui, a scientist from the World Animal Protection organization, told the Global Times on Thursday. 

Whether for wild animal protection or industrial development, development of alternatives to pangolin scales is a rational choice, Sun said. He further said that scientific teams in China have been trialing synthetic alternative akin to pangolin scales, by precisely understanding the substances of pangolin. If their research goes well, we expect to see pangolin scale substitute in near future.

According to the notice, supervision will be strengthened to strictly regulate the use of pangolin scales in medicine. Following the principle of "conserving resources and being strict and prudent," strict oversight of pangolin scale use in medicine will be enforced, with efforts to minimize consumption.

The three administrations requested provincial-level forestry and grassland, traditional Chinese medicine, and medical products administration departments jointly conduct a survey on the utilization of pangolins to grasp the situation of pangolin artificial breeding institutions, pangolin scale inventories, and the use, purchase, and sale of pangolin scales by traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and pharmaceutical production enterprises in the past three years in their respective provinces. 

The annual consumption of pangolin scales will be strictly controlled, in principle, at around 1 ton, the notice reads. 

Provincial-level forestry and grassland departments are also requested to strengthen supervision and verification of legal holders of pangolin scales inventories in their provinces and update the inventory of pangolin scales based on administrative licensing in a timely manner. 

For provincial traditional Chinese medicine administration and medical products supervision departments, they should strictly supervise hospitals and pharmaceutical enterprises using pangolin scales within their jurisdictions. All units will seriously handle violations of laws and regulations in accordance with the law to resolutely stop the abuse of pangolin scales, the notice says. 

Pangolin scales and their products confiscated by law enforcement are restricted to non-commercial activities such as scientific research, judicial law enforcement, and public welfare promotion, according to the notice.

 The use of pangolin scales and their products from other illegal or unknown sources is strictly prohibited, it states. 

The commercial import and export of pangolins and their products remain prohibited, the notice reads. 

At the invitation of Russia's State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, China's Minister of Transport Liu Wei attended the first meeting of the subcommittee on Arctic shipping routes cooperation under the committee for regular meetings between Chinese and Russian heads of government, where he held talks with the subcommittee's Russian Chairman, Alexey Likhachev, and conducted working visit, on Sunday and Monday, according to China's Ministry of Transport's official WeChat account on Tuesday.

The first meeting of the subcommittee on Arctic shipping routes was held in Saint Petersburg on Monday. Liu pointed out that the subcommittee on Arctic shipping routes is a new working mechanism established under the committee for regular meetings between Chinese and Russian heads of government. It is an important platform for promoting the cooperation and development of Arctic shipping routes and an important channel for sharing experiences and seeking mutual development.

During this meeting, the two sides reached a series of important consensus on the mechanism, structure of the subcommittee and cooperation objectives, achieving fruitful results. China is willing to work with Russia to fully utilize the subcommittee's role, enhance the competitiveness of Arctic shipping, jointly ensure Arctic navigation safety, and promote new progress in polar shipbuilding, implementing the consensus of the two countries' leaders through concrete actions.

Alexey Likhachev, who is also director general of the Rosatom, noted that the establishment of the subcommittee on Arctic shipping routes is of historical significance, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. Rosatom is willing to deepen cooperation with the Chinese Ministry of Transport in various fields such as Arctic shipping, safety, and polar shipbuilding technology, and actively promote China-Russia Arctic shipping routes cooperation to new highs.

The meeting heard reports from three working groups under the subcommittee: shipping development, navigation safety, and polar ship technology and construction. It also approved the regulations for the subcommittee on Arctic shipping routes, signed the meeting minutes, and clarified the relevant consensuses and key tasks for 2025.