Shenzhen Bay port sees passenger surge, with over 10 mln trips recorded this year

Passenger traffic at China's Shenzhen Bay border crossing in Guangdong Province has surged past ten million trips this year, reflecting a dramatic rise in cross-border movement.

According to the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, the Shenzhen Bay port had handled over ten million inbound and outbound passenger trips as of March 20, marking a 27 percent increase compared to the same period last year.

The port, located near Hong Kong International Airport, is a key entry point for travelers arriving in Shenzhen. Since the beginning of this year, Shenzhen Bay border inspection station has processed around 200,000 trips by foreign nationals, with over 27,000 entering visa-free, a year-on-year increase of approximately 170 percent.

Since December 17, 2024, China's National Immigration Administration has extended the visa-free transit period for foreigners to 240 hours or ten days.

According to data from the National Immigration Administration, between December 17, 2024 and March 17, 2025, China's ports saw 8.805 million foreign arrivals, marking a 34.9 percent year-on-year increase.

"It (visa-free policy) is a very good thing. It's easy to immigrate," said Rose Max, a German traveler.

The surge in passenger volume also follows the implementation of new policies designed to facilitate easier travel, including "no-document" clearance, the resumption of "one trip per week" permits between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, and the expansion of "multiple-entry" permits.

The daily peak processing capacity at Shenzhen Bay reached 180,000 passenger trips.

"To ensure efficient and smooth customs clearance, we have developed and applied new inspection equipment such as no-document channels, mobile inspection terminals, and mobile inspection desks. This is to effectively use scientific and technological innovation to accelerate openness and further promote the level of interconnection between Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao," said Huang Zhao, deputy captain of the fourth duty team at Shenzhen Bay border inspection station.

Shenzhen Bay port sees passenger surge, with over 10 mln trips recorded this year

Venezuela's acting president Delcy Rodriguez said on Sunday that the country is at a critical stage and must achieve national unity, emphasizing that maintaining internal cohesion is of utmost importance.

In a televised address, Rodriguez called on the public to continue trusting the government under the current highly complex political circumstances.

Her statement comes in the wake of a January 3 military operation conducted by the United States, during which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were taken into custody and flown out of the country.

The operation resulted in at least 100 fatalities.

Rodriguez, who was sworn in as acting president two days later on January 5, framed her appeal for unity against this backdrop of external intervention.

Meanwhile, Venezuelan Minister of Communication and Information Freddy Nanez denounced the U.S. actions as a "war crime of the 21st century" when speaking at an international cultural event on Sunday.

Nanez condemned not only the January 3 airstrikes but also the associated cyber and electromagnetic attacks.

He accused the United States of violating international law through the forced removal of President Maduro and his wife, while attacks on civilian infrastructure, including medical facilities, represent a flagrant breach of humanitarian norms.

He reiterated that the stigmatization and military attacks against Venezuela are driven by economic interests, particularly the desire to control its abundant natural resources.

Venezuelan acting president calls for national unity amid complex situation