The Gongbei Port, which links Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province to Macao, saw its cross-border passenger volume surpass 50 million on Monday morning, becoming the first land port in China to hit this mark so far this year.
This year, the 50-million milestone at Gongbei Port was reached 12 days earlier than in 2025. According to the Gongbei border inspection station, daily passenger flow at the port rose steadily in the first quarter of this year, refreshing a six-year high three times in a row.
Notably, cross-border commutes between Zhuhai and Macao for work, family visits, leisure shopping, schooling, and employment have become the main drivers, highlighting a growing trend of two-way movement.
Since the second quarter, major events, including the Canton Fair and the World Internet Conference Asia-Pacific Summit, have attracted a larger number of foreign business travelers and tourists passing through the port. As of Sunday, the port had recorded over 350,000 border crossings by foreign nationals, representing a year-on-year increase of more than 10 percent.
50 mln border crossings recorded in Gongbei Port so far in 2026
The European Union is facing the risk of a stagflationary shock as the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is driving up energy prices and clouding the economic outlook, European Commissioner for Economy Valdis Dombrovskis said on Monday.
The European Commission's spring 2026 economic forecast, to be released later this week, will see economic growth figures adjusted down and inflation figures up, said Dombrovskis during an interview while attending a meeting of finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) in Paris.
With the Strait of Hormuz closed and oil prices staying above 100 U.S. dollars per barrel, fears of stagflation have risen in recent weeks, said Dombrovskis, adding that the margin of action by policymakers is "more limited" now.
The commissioner said it's important that the bloc take temporary, targeted support measures rather than measures that sustain high demand for fossil fuels.
Dombrovskis also described the EU's release of strategic oil reserves as "ongoing," while warning of concerns about shortages in areas such as innovative fuels.
The International Energy Agency Executive Director, Fatih Birol, said on Monday that commercial oil stocks are declining "rapidly", with several weeks of supply left due to the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East.
Europe could face fuel shortages by the end of this month.
EU at risk of stagflation amid Middle East conflict: commissioner
