China Media Group (CMG) has partnered with China Southern Airlines to introduce a series of in-flight programs themed on Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries, aiming to promote cross-cultural exchanges. The 2026 SCO summit was held in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday, the first plane carrying the "CMG Showcase – SCO Special" in-flight content left Beijing for Bishkek, bringing SCO-themed programming to air travelers. The special programs are broadcast in 15 languages spoken across SCO countries, including Kyrgyz, Russian, English, Kazakh, and Arabic, and are available on 155 routes of China Southern Airlines. It features nearly 20 premium CMG programs and high-quality content from mainstream media outlets in SCO nations, allowing passengers to enjoy the rich history, cultural charm, and local customs of SCO members through diverse content. As part of China's action in advancing SCO cooperation, the content will remain available on flights through the end of the year.
SCO-themed in-flight content introduced to promote cross-cultural exchanges
The Hengqin Port in south China's Guangdong Province, the only land port between the mainland and Macao, has handled more than 30 million passenger entries and exits so far this year -- a new high for the corresponding period of time since the new Hengqin Port was opened in 2020, according to the Hengqin Port Border Inspection Station.
Hengqin, located in Guangdong's Zhuhai City, is separated from Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR) by a narrow stretch of water.
As of 21:00 on Wednesday, total passenger traffic through the port had exceeded 30 million border crossings, up 27.1 percent year on year. The milestone was reached 68 days earlier than last year, setting a new record for passenger flows at the port during the same period.
The passenger traffic at the Hengqin Port has reached several new highs since the beginning of this year. During the National Day holiday, which ran from Oct. 1 to 7 and which was one of the country's busiest travel and tourism seasons, single-day passenger traffic peaked above 150,000 border crossings for the first time.
By the end of August 2026, more than 30,000 Macao residents were living or working in Hengqin, while the number of Macao-funded enterprises operating there reached 8,224, up 77.36 percent since the establishment of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin in 2021, statistics showed.
The simultaneous growth in the number of residents and businesses has driven a rapid increase in cross-border travel by Hong Kong and Macao residents. Data show that Hong Kong and Macao residents have made more than 9.27 million inbound and outbound trips through the Hengqin Port so far this year, up 32.4 percent year on year, including more than 7.97 million trips by Macao residents, up 34.9 percent year on year.
"The one-year multiple-entry individual visit endorsement is quite convenient. Now we can go to Macao whenever we want. The queues for passing through immigration inspection move quickly and the environment of the port is really good," said a resident in Hengqin.
From January 1, 2025, permanent residents and residence permit holders in the Hengqin In-Depth Cooperation Zone are eligible to apply for a one-year multiple-entry Individual Visit Endorsement for Macao, which enables them to make multiple trips to Macao in a year, with each trip lasting less than seven days.
With the implementation of facilitation policies for travel to Macao, travel by mainland residents has also remained strong. According to statistics, mainland residents have made more than 19.54 million inbound and outbound trips through the Hengqin Port so far this year, up 23.9 percent year on year.
Land port between mainland, Macao records surge in passenger trips
