As the 33rd APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting approaches, Shenzhen's Bao'an International Airport has seen a record 850,000 entries and exits by foreign nationals from APEC member economies in the first seven months of this year, up 32 percent year on year, according to authorities.
With China’s visa‑free policy expanding and the APEC meeting generating buzz, passenger traffic at the airport has remained high. Border inspection data show 1.1 million foreign nationals entered or exited through the port in the first seven months, representing 190 countries and regions.
To handle the surge, the airport added more flights to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, with more than 300 weekly services planned to and from APEC member economies.
"I'm visiting China with my friend this time. We plan to stay for 20 days and visit Chongqing, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. The service provided by the border inspection officers is really nice," said a passenger from Thailand.
"I'm from Singapore. I'm here on vacation with my family. We plan to stay in China for a week to learn more about Chinese culture and history," said a traveler from Singapore.
"So, the people in China is very friendly and very nice. And the process in the airport is very fast and very smooth," said a tourist from Vietnam.
"Currently, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has established direct passenger routes with 15 APEC member economies. In the first seven months of this year, We have cumulatively inspected 850,000 foreign nationals from APEC member economies, a 32 percent year-over-year increase, accounting for nearly 80 percent of the total number of foreign nationals and setting a new record high for the same period in history," said Li Qian, deputy captain of the 6th patrol team of Shenzhen's Airport Border Inspection Station.
To ease border clearance, customs authorities have introduced a zoned inspection model, upgraded the online entry card system with multilingual prompts, and deployed smart translation devices to assist travelers.
Shenzhen airport sees record 850,000 APEC entries in first seven months
