New measure enables foreign travelers to claim tax refunds in Chinese stores

International travelers shopping in China can now claim tax refunds directly in stores thanks to a new initiative which aims to boost both the tourism and retail sectors while bringing greater convenience to shoppers from overseas.

The new tax refund policy, which took effect on April 8, allows foreign visitors to receive immediate cash refunds at participating stores by presenting their passport, receipts, and a completed application form, bypassing the often time-consuming process at airports.

The new measure has already been welcomed by tourists and businesses in Chengdu City of southwest China's Sichuan Province, a popular tourism destination known as the home of the giant panda.

Nearly 50 shopping malls and retail locations in Chengdu are already offering the service, including at the bustling Chunxi Road pedestrian shopping street which boasts over 700 retail outlets. City officials say more stores will soon join the program, further expanding its reach and impact.

The policy applies to a variety of goods, including luxury items and cultural products. Several foreign travelers who have taken advantage of the new tax refund initiative shared their experience and praised the recent change.

"I think it’s very convenient because after I purchase the goods and I can across the street, I can do the tax refund,” said Paranee Swasdichai, a tourist from Thailand.

"I think it's super convenient. It's a big hassle to take it back, and carry all of your receipts back to the airport. So it's really nice to be able to do it back in the store," said James Wingert, a visitor from the United States.

Originally piloted in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai before being rolled out in other parts of China, the initiative is part of the country's broader effort to open up to international travelers and stimulate domestic consumption, and business owners say they are also seeing the benefits of the new policy.

"The initiative has attracted more visitors, improving our sales and increasing staff incomes," said Xia Shujun, general manager of the Sichuan Shishang Parkson Retail Development company, who also noted that when international travelers buy domestic brands, they also help promote them overseas.

New measure enables foreign travelers to claim tax refunds in Chinese stores

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight