Visa-free policy boosts inbound tourism in north China border city

Manzhouli, a border city in north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, has witnessed significant growth in foreign tourist visits during the current ice-snow season, as a result of the country's visa-free policies.

In the border inspection hall of the Manzhouli Port on China's border with Russia, foreign tourists are queuing to clear customs. To improve the efficiency of customs clearance, the Manzhouli Entry and Exit Border Inspection Station has set up equipment such as facial recognition and intelligent inspection devices.

By the end of July this year, China had introduced unilateral visa-free entry or mutual visa exemption agreements with 75 other countries as part of its efforts to streamline visa rules and promote international exchange. The visa-free policy has also contributed to invigorating the local consumer market. Many supermarkets in Manzhouli are seeing a surge in the number of foreign customers eager to shop.

"Normally, our sales volume is around 250,000 yuan (35,500 U.S. dollars). If more foreign tourists visit this year, we expect it to reach 350,000 yuan (49,700 U.S. dollars). Normally, we will in advance stock up on the goods that foreign tourists typically prefer. Compared to the same period of last year, our sales volume has increased by approximately 50 to 70 percent," said Zhang Shuai, manager at the supermarket.

The seats at many Russian restaurants in Manzhouli are nearly fully occupied by diners, with most customers being foreign tourists. In addition to preserving traditional Russian dishes, the restaurants have also added a range of Chinese culinary delights to their menus.

"Our store serves over 500 customers daily. Russian customers can use the ruble to pay the bill," said Wang Hongyu, the restaurant manager.

"All rooms in the star-rated hotels have been fully booked two weeks in advance. The number of inbound passenger visits has reached 410,000, up approximately 7 percent year on year," said Huang Jinkai, deputy director of the Bureau of Culture, Sports, Tourism, Radio, Film and Television of Manzhouli City.

Visa-free policy boosts inbound tourism in north China border city

Israeli forces have launched fresh strikes across multiple areas of the Gaza Strip, with local sources reporting civilian casualties and a further worsening of the humanitarian crisis.

According to Gaza's Civil Defense, the Israeli artillery strike on Friday evening in the Tuffah neighborhood east of Gaza City has killed five local residents, including children. The strike brought the number of Palestinians killed since the October ceasefire to around 400.

"A classroom at the displacement site, where five families were sheltering, was targeted. I was inside when the walls collapsed on us during the strike. I was trapped under the rubble along with my grandson, who was injured. After the bombing, I tried to get up and managed to get out of the place. There were many dead and body parts everywhere," recalled Ismail Al-Barsh, an eyewitness of the attack.

Abu Hamza Affana, an ambulance director who took part in the rescue operation, said Israeli forces repeatedly obstructed emergency efforts.

"When ambulance crews first responded to the distress call, the Israeli army opened fire, forcing us to withdraw due to the continued shooting and shelling of the school. After we were later allowed to proceed, we reached the site and dealt with the casualties," he said.

The Israeli military said the incident is under investigation.

The attacks came as displaced families grapple with severe weather and growing shortages of shelter and basic supplies, further exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Local sources said that as a powerful storm swept through the region recently, at least 13 Palestinian children died due to shortages of essential supplies and medical services.

Gaza humanitarian crisis worsens as Israeli strikes continue