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Visa-free entry policy boosts inbound tourism in Hainan

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Visa-free entry policy boosts inbound tourism in Hainan

2024-05-03 01:37 Last Updated At:19:37

South China's Hainan Province, a tropical island province with a well-developed tourism industry, saw a surge in inbound tourists on the first day of the five-day May Day Holiday thanks to China's efforts to facilitate cross-border travel.

At 10:50 on Wednesday, the first day of the five-day holiday, a passenger flight from Singapore landed at Haikou Meilan International Airport. The 137 passengers onboard entered the province visa-free and cleared customs in just 20 minutes.

"I have visited many places in China but never been to Hainan before, so I decided to visit for five nights and six days during the holiday. The visa-free policy makes the entry process very convenient and fast,” said a Singaporean tourist.

"We come to Hainan for tourism. We are going to see some birds. It's visa free," said another foreign tourist.

With a visa-free entry policy for citizens of 59 countries in place, Hainan continues to increase the number of overseas air routes from the island's airports, with 48 overseas air routes now available.

So far, more than 940,000 foreign tourists have entered Hainan under the policy, accounting for 82 percent of the total number of foreign tourists entering the province.

"We flew from Russia to China. The visa-free entry policy is very convenient. We're really looking forward to the vacation in China and seeing everything here in person," said a tourist from Russia.

The tropical island has rolled out measures to streamline customs clearance by cutting waiting times for arrivals and improving work efficiency, according to local customs staff.

"We will continuously optimize tour services, improve the customs clearance environment, and enhance customs clearance efficiency, so that passengers can enjoy a more convenient and efficient travel experience, and attract more foreign friends to Hainan for tourism, family visits, trade exchanges, exhibitions, and other activities," said Wu Guoqiang, director of Meilan Border Inspection Station.

Foreign nationals who enter Hainan via the visa-free policies mainly come from South Korea, Singapore, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, Russia, and Thailand -- accounting for 95.9 percent of the total.

Visa-free entry policy boosts inbound tourism in Hainan

Visa-free entry policy boosts inbound tourism in Hainan

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China launches first intellectual property protection platform for auto export

2024-05-17 17:50 Last Updated At:18:27

China's first intellectual property protection and early warning platform for the auto export industry was launched on Thursday at the 2024 China Automotive Intellectual Property Annual Conference in central China's Wuhan City.

This platform aims to assist Chinese auto companies in expanding their business overseas while avoiding intellectual property disputes. It offers over ten features, including research on the legal environment for overseas intellectual property, guidance on the application process, and information on related costs.

By utilizing this platform, auto firms in China can improve their awareness of international intellectual property protection and enhance their ability to manage relevant disputes. "We can see that Chinese auto companies are accelerating their global expansion, but their overseas patent coverage is relatively weak. The proportion of their patients effectively protected overseas is less than 10 percent on average, indicating a significant gap compared to mainstream multinational car companies. In recent years, we have focused on key technologies such as Intelligent Connected Vehicle and new energy, and have actively applied for patents in target markets like Europe and Southeast Asia," said Yang Yanding, head of the General Research and Development Institute of Chinese automaker Dongfeng Motor.

The platform also provides consulting services on overseas patent application, assistance with intellectual property dispute settlement, and early warning information on potential infringements, which are all tailored to the needs of Chinese independent auto brands.

"The rapid development of new energy vehicles has accelerated the integration of the automotive industry with communication, artificial intelligence, and big data, giving rise to new intellectual property challenges, such as standard essential patents. Therefore, Chinese auto companies must pay close attention to risk prevention, early warning, and response to protect their interests as they expand internationally," said Wang Junlei, chief expert at the China Automotive Technology and Research Center.

The 2024 China Automotive Intellectual Property Annual Conference opened on Thursday and will conclude on Saturday.

China launches first intellectual property protection platform for auto export

China launches first intellectual property protection platform for auto export

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