Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun on Thursday said that China is willing to work with the armed forces of regional countries to share the responsibility of maintaining security in the Gulf of Guinea.
Dong made the remarks while meeting with heads of delegations attending the second edition of the seminar on security situation in the Gulf of Guinea in Shanghai.
Hosted by the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, the seminar brought together maritime armed force leaders and defense attaches from 18 nations, including Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Cote d'Ivoire and Nigeria.
During the meeting, Dong also called for efforts to promote systematic maritime cooperation, carry forward the traditional friendship with regional countries, and contribute to the building of an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era.
The heads of delegations attending the meeting expressed the willingness to enhance mutual trust and deepen cooperation with China to jointly build a secure, stable, and prosperous Gulf of Guinea.
China's defense minister stresses shared responsibility for maintaining security in Gulf of Guinea
China is gearing up for a surge in inbound and outbound travelers during the upcoming Spring Festival holiday, with an anticipated average of 1.85 million passenger trips daily, marking a 9.5 percent increase from last year, according to the travel forecast released by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Friday.
This year's Spring Festival falls on Jan 29, the first day of the Chinese new year, with eight public holiday days from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4. It is the most important festival in China and an occasion for family reunions and celebrations.
Outbound passenger flows at key airports are expected to reach their highest levels during the first three days of the holiday, while inbound passenger flows are forecast to peak from Feb 3 to 4, the final two days of the holiday.
Major international airports, including Beijing Capital, Shanghai Pudong, Guangzhou Baiyun, and Chengdu Tianfu are projected to handle daily cross-border passenger flow of 42,000, 95,000, 48,000 and 19,000 people, respectively.
Passenger flows at border checkpoints near Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions are expected to remain relatively steady, with peak passenger flows anticipated from Jan 31 to Feb 2.
Gongbei, the land border checkpoint between Zhuhai in Guangdong Province and Macao, is expected to be the busiest, handling an average of 310,000 inbound and outbound trips daily.
To manage the surge, the NIA has improved border inspection measures to ensure that wait times for Chinese cross-border travelers do not exceed 30 minutes. Additional staff will be on hand, and sufficient inspection lanes will be available to ensure smooth and efficient processing.
Cross-border travel is also expected to be a major trend this Spring Festival in east China's Shandong Province, according to the provincial cultural and tourism department. The Shandong Exit-Entry Border Inspection General Station predicts over 100,000 inbound passenger trips to the province, including approximately 21,000 ones by foreign travelers.
The implementation of the 240-hour visa-free transit policy led to the addition of three new entry points in Shandong, allowing international visitors to freely choose to enter or exit the province through ports in Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai. This development positions Shandong as a popular entry hub for inbound tourism.
To accommodate the expected influx, airports in cities such as Jinan and Qingdao have established dedicated visa-free transit processing areas, to ensure efficient handling of foreign travelers during peak times.
"In response to the rising number of foreign travelers at our ports, Qingdao Airport Customs has implemented a pre-review model for visa-free transit, optimizing the clearance process. This has saved an average of 20 minutes for each visa-free traveler," said Jiang Lei, an officer of the Qingdao Airport Customs Inspection Station.
Various regions across Shandong are hosting traditional Chinese New Year fairs showcasing local customs and products, aiming to attract both domestic and international visitors. Coastal cities like Qingdao, Yantai, and Weihai have become particularly popular destinations for South Korean tourists.
China expects 9.5 pct rise in daily cross-border passenger flow during Spring Festival holiday
