The border area in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has seen a growing influx of foreign tourists in recent months, most of whom are from neighboring Vietnam.
In Dongxing City that faces Vietnam's Mong Cai across the river, there is an endless stream of inbound visitors entering China through the China-Vietnam Friendship Bridge after the border crossing is opened at 08:00 every morning. The hall of the frontier inspection station is often packed with travelers waiting in line to go through the required border entry-exit procedures.
"Dongxing Port has received over 990,000 inbound passengers since the start of this year, which is more than ten times the number registered in the same period of last year," said Lyv Wei, a police officer at on Dongxing Entry-Exit Frontier Inspection Station.
Many of the crowds are tourist groups from Vietnam. Some are coming with family members and others with colleagues or friends.
"There are 23 persons in our tour group. The peak time for Vietnamese tour groups to come to China is from April to August," said tour guide Hoang Van, who leads a Vietnamese tour group.
Apart from traditional scenic spots, some commodities and cuisines with local characteristics are also appealing to foreign visitors. A local hot pot restaurant is very popular among Vietnamese tourists.
"We receive up to 220 Vietnamese tourists a day. We have also prepared some Vietnamese dishes for them. Our employees have grasped some basic Vietnamese phrases for daily communication," said Luo Sheng, the restaurant manager.
Tour operators in Dongxing are also benefiting from the surge in inbound tourism.
"The number of tourists in March was 30 percent more than the same period of last year. There have been more than a dozen tour groups every weekend," said Qin Shiping, manager of a local travel agency. The inbound tourist flow is expected to pick up further with the arrival of "Sanyuesan", a traditional festival for the Zhuang ethnic minority group that is celebrated on the third day of the third month in the Chinese Lunar Calendar with a two-day regional public holiday.
It's estimated that the three border crossings of Nanning, Youyi and Dongxing will register over 252,000 border entries and exits during the holiday, which will last for four days this year combined with the weekend of March 13-14.
Int'l tourist arrivals soar in south China’s Guangxi
Faced with profound and complex shifts in the international landscape, China stands ready to work with other BRICS members to jointly tackle the pressing challenges confronting humanity and stay firmly on the right course of world historical development, Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi said on Tuesday.
Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, made the remarks when attending the 16th Meeting of BRICS National Security Advisors and High Representatives on National Security in New Delhi, where attendees had in-depth exchanges of views on addressing non-traditional security challenges, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity and other issues.
Noting that BRICS cooperation over the past 20 years has turned the grouping into a key pillar for global peace, development and justice, Wang called for BRICS commitment to upholding the international order, promoting multilateralism and unequivocally rejecting unilateralism and protectionism.
Standing at the forefront of the Global South, BRICS members need to take the lead in speaking up for justice and delivering fair outcomes, and elevate their standing and role in international affairs, Wang added.
To break the security deadlock through consensus, efforts should be made to advocate the vision of common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security, firmly advance the settlement of hotspot issues via political means, and actively explore effective ways to resolve disputes via dialogue and consultation, Wang said.
Wang urged BRICS responses to global challenges, including resolutely combating all forms of terrorism, clearly opposing the militarization of outer space, effectively tackling global energy and food security risks, strengthening cooperation on strategic mineral resources, and jointly responding to the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
BRICS wisdom should be pooled to improve governance in emerging sectors, Wang said, urging vigilance against risks brought by artificial intelligence (AI), guidance of AI development in a sound direction, and support for the United Nations as the primary channel to advance global cyberspace and digital governance.
Noting that the BRICS mechanism draws its vitality from equality and mutual benefit, and its strength from solidarity and mutual assistance, Wang said China, which will assume the rotating BRICS chairmanship next year, stands ready to work alongside BRICS partners to open up a future of peace and prosperity for all.
The participating sides spoke highly of the unique role and remarkable achievements of the BRICS cooperation mechanism, vowing to defend the shared interests of the Global South, and work together to build a multipolar world featuring peace, security, fairness, justice, prosperity and development.
China ready to work with BRICS members to tackle pressing global challenges: top diplomat
