China is drawing a growing number of international visitors to the country thanks to its expanded visa-free policies and 240-hour transit arrangements, making it a prime tourist destination for foreign travelers to stop by, enjoy its cultural charm, and even sample its delicious delicacies.
With the latest expansions in its policies, China now offers unilateral visa exemption to passport holders from 50 countries, mutual visa-free access to 29 countries, and 240-hour transit privileges to travelers from 55 countries.
The capital city of Beijing has become one of the must-visit destinations for many foreign visitors who are keen to experience its rich history, catch a look of its iconic landmarks and enjoy all that it has to offer.
Among those taking advantage of the visa-free policy was a foreign traveler named Julian. After landing at the Beijing Daxing International Airport, he passed through a fast immigration process via the transit visa-free policy to enter China smoothly. After handling all procedures at the airport, Julian chose to ride on the efficient Airport Express train to reach the city center, bypassing the rush-hour traffic during this nearly 45-kilometer-long journey.
After reaching the downtown area, Julian was eager to try arguably Beijing's most famous delicacy -- the famous Peking roast duck -- which he was most looking forward to before embarking on his trip.
He was amazed by the restaurant's 200-degree special ovens which roast the ducks to perfection, and enjoyed the mouth-watering taste of the ducks, with a staff member showing him the best way to eat and savor the duck just like the locals do.
Julian also explored the vibrant surroundings nearby the famous Forbidden City in the Chinese capital, where he saw the increasing popularity of traditional dress-up photography, as more people enjoy donning ancient outfits.
Beijing has been continuously improving services for foreign visitors, with one-stop service counters being operational since last year in the international arrival areas of Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, offering over 20 types of essential services in areas such as finance, communication, transportation, culture and tourism.
The city on Tuesday officially launched a comprehensive online service platform called "GO BEIJING", offering a full range of services for inbound visitors across different scenarios. Overseas visitors can access the platform via the international version of Alipay and enjoy 39 services in 16 languages, including ride-hailing, ticket booking and hotel reservations. The platform also features digital services such as an "AI tour companion."
Beijing has recorded more than seven million border crossings in 2026 as of Sunday, representing a year-on-year increase of 13 percent. The recent surge in Beijing's inbound tourism is partly attributable to the continuous optimization of visa-free policies.
Over the past year, China has steadily widened the list of visa-free countries, while extending its existing 72-hour and 144-hour visa-free transit schemes to a unified 240 hours. The upgraded transit policy now covers 24 provincial-level regions and 65 ports of entry.
China's visa-free policies, 240-hour transit scheme boosts appeal among foreign travelers
China's influence in global governance is becoming increasingly prominent, and its vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind is highly consistent with the purposes and principles of the United Nations, newly appointed UN Resident Coordinator in China Stephan Jackson said.
In a recent interview with China Media Group (CMG), he also said that a series of global initiatives proposed by China are of great significance to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and upholding multilateralism.
Jackson officially assumed office in April. In more than two months since taking up the post, he has been impressed by China hosting an influx of political leaders from various countries and heads of UN agencies, which underscores its important and growing influence in global governance.
"It is a complicated moment. China's engagement is very prominent. It's very constructive and it's very multilateral. I think it is a constructive voice in global affairs, a voice that says dialogue is better than confrontation. Sitting down together and discussing and trying to reach consensus amongst member states is important. I welcome that. I think we're better off as a planet with multilateralism," he said.
In the interview, Jackson highly commended China's vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, saying that the concept is fundamentally in line with the spirit of the UN Charter and closely aligned with the SDGs.
"We're better together, we're worse off apart. A better future awaits if we work together. And I think the language of the sustainable development goals of leaving no one behind, that is absolutely about, well, a shared future, is about a shared present as well of course," he said.
Since 2021, China has put forward four major global initiatives, namely the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative, the Global Civilization Initiative and the Global Governance Initiative.
The UN official said these initiatives provide practical solutions for the international community to jointly address common challenges, including development gaps, climate change and regional conflicts.
"All four of those -- climate, conflict, elimination of poverty and narrowing of inequality, and dealing with the governance of AI -- are things on which I think China's voice is, we can't do without it. China is really central to that. Whether we are talking about the pressing problem of climate change, and I think GDI particularly is already contributing in a very significant way there. Whether we are talking about the problem of resurgent global conflict, the emphasis that the Global Civilization Initiative has on dialogue. If you think about sustainable development goal No. 1, which is the alleviation of poverty, China over recent decades has lifted an astronomical number of people out of absolute poverty, just in and of itself as a contribution to achieving the SDGs. The balance of influence is shifting in this 21st century. Well, China has long been one of the most prominent countries of the Global South, and with China a leading voice amongst those is being heard much more loudly in multilateral affairs than ever before. We need China. China's thoughts on what the UN should look like going forward are invaluable," said Jackson.
UN Official hails China's contributions to global governance
