China's instant tax refund policies boost shopping experience for foreign tourists

China's instant tax refund policies have significantly enhanced shopping experiences for foreign tourists, eliminating airport processing delays and allowing visitors to immediately reinvest refunded money during their stays.

China's inbound tourism has been growing rapidly in recent years. Alongside iconic landmarks and rich cultural experiences, shopping has also become an integral part of visitors' travel experience, especially with the instant tax rebate service.

Since the nationwide extension of the policy on April 8, foreign shoppers can receive up to 11 percent tax rebates directly in designated stores, rather than having to wait until they leave the country.

To qualify for a refund, tourists need to spend just 200 yuan (about 27.51 U.S. dollars in a single store. The maximum cash refund limit has now increased to 20,000 yuan.

International travelers can receive immediate cash refunds in Chinese yuan after completing credit card pre-authorization procedures and signing the necessary agreements.

The policy builds on a slew of recent efforts by China to boost global exchanges and mobility, such as easing its visa policies, enhancing payment accessibility, and streamlining customs clearance.

In Shanghai, the service has been available in about half of the city's tax refund partner stores.

At Beijing SKP, one of the top luxury shopping malls offering instant tax refund services, international shoppers are highly praising the policy.

"You show them the passport and they make the discount. They give us a paper. They (the staff) write, they do it for us. So convenient," said Miguel Escriva and Maria Cristina De Sousa, tourists from Spain. "For foreign tourists, it's always better to get money back -- a lot of money back," said a European tourist.

"It's very nice. It makes you so happy that you want to buy some more," said a Saudi Arabian tourist.

These policies have made it easier to explore the country than ever, fueling a surge in "China Travel" content on social media platforms.

"Anything. Maybe some local brands that you can't get overseas, also luxury brands -- as soon as you take the tax out, the price becomes really competitive with other cities," said Farzaan Kassam, a Canadian residing in Beijing.

"Yesterday we were in Shanghai. We went to find some things. The price was similar in Europe. That's good," said De Sousa.

China's instant tax refund policies boost shopping experience for foreign tourists

Officials from the European Union (EU) and Finland have voiced concerns after the White House said it has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including the use of the military.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas told a press briefing in Cairo on Thursday that the message from the U.S. is "extremely concerning," and "not really helping the stability of the world."

Kallas called on all parties to stick to international law, adding that relevant response measures has been discussed among EU members.

"The international law is very clear, and we have to stick to it. It is clear that it is the only thing that protects smaller countries, and that is why it is in the interest of all of us. And we discussed this today, as well, that we uphold the international law on all levels," she said.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen on Thursday described recent remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and members of his administration on Greenland as "worrying," while reiterating Finland's support for Denmark and Greenland's right to self-determination.

"Finland and the other Nordic countries have exceptional expertise in Arctic conditions, and we are happy to make use of that together with our North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies to strengthen Arctic security, but it cannot be done by threatening allies," she said at a press conference at Finnish parliament after an extraordinary meeting of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee.

Johannes Koskinen, chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee, said it was "unprecedented" for threats of violence to be made within NATO against another member in connection with seizing territory, adding that such threats run counter to the United Nations Charter and that their inconsistency with international law should be underscored at all levels.

EU, Finnish officials express concerns over US remarks on Greenland