China-Kazakhstan visa-free agreement catalyzes travel boom in 1st year

The mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Kazakhstan has spurred a spike in cross-border travel one year after its implementation as it facilitates cross-border tours for people from both countries.

Sunday marks the first anniversary of the agreement.

Over the past year, bustling scenes have unfolded at various ports in northwest Chin's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region which borders Kazakhstan, with a boom in travelers moving between the two countries for business, tourism and family visits.

Since the mutual visa exemption agreement kicked in on November 10, 2023, people of both countries have enjoyed streamlined travel for business and leisure.

"I'm visiting my husband in Kazakhstan. I find this visa-free policy especially convenient for long-distance family visits," said a Chinese tourist.

"The mutual visa-free policy between China and Kazakhstan is incredibly convenient for cross-border commerce, saving time and making business trips much easier and faster for us in doing cross-border business. It is really convenient for traveling and taking business trips," said a Kazakh businessman.

Over the past year, 35,000 Kazakh visitors have entered China through the port of Urumqi Diwopu International Airport alone for sightseeing and business activities, boosting tourism and trade of the two countries.

"Since the implementation of the agreement, we've seen a palpable increase in visitors and business people, with over 130 flights per month between the two countries," said Zhao Hu, an officer of Urumqi's Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station.

The port of Khorgos has also experienced staggering traffic peaks this year, with daily crossings averaging around 3,700 travelers and exceeding 6,800 on the busiest days.

As of Sunday, over one million people had passed through the Khorgos highway port this year, a record high.

Data from Xinjiang's border inspection authorities shows a total of almost 1.93 million cross-border travelers have passed through Xinjiang's ports since the visa-free agreement took effect, marking a whopping 129.18-percent surge from the previous year.

China-Kazakhstan visa-free agreement catalyzes travel boom in 1st year

As China's 15th Five-Year Plan enters its inaugural year, Kenneth Fok Kai-kong, a re-elected Hong Kong deputy in the National People's Congress, said he hopes Hong Kong can better integrate into and contribute to the nation's overall development.

That involves ensuring Hong Kong's voice is heard in the development of national strategies, while effectively communicating the central government's vision to the people of Hong Kong, Fok said.

This year, Fok brought nine proposals to the ongoing 14th National People's Congress (NPC), China's top legislature, covering different areas including sports, culture, aviation and consumption.

"I'm always very concerned about sports and culture. This is where really my heart lies. But I think as a deputy I should also have a much broader [vision], not just concentrate on one specific area. So, of course, I mentioned about sports and also Greater Bay Area sports. But another issue, maybe first time I brought it to the table, is about our aviation hub. How do we keep up with the race with all the regional hubs also rising at the same time? This is our core strategy, core competence in Hong Kong and how do we make it better," Fok said in an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN) released on Saturday.

In the 2026 Government Work Report delivered by Chinese Premier Li Qiang at the opening session of the 14th NPC on Thursday, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area is encouraged to build itself into a world-class city cluster.

The report also pledged to develop the Greater Bay Area into an international center for scientific and technological innovation.

"I also think about the national objectives, what are the important milestones we are trying to hit in the next five years, next 10 years. China has been doing so well and it's such a great exporter to the world as a part of the world village. But we need to strengthen ourselves by increasing consumption. Actually, consumption should be the core of our engine. We should enable our own population to be able to consume more to boost the economy," he said.

China's NPC deputy discusses how HK can better integrate into country’s overall development