Sumarev Maxim, a Russian captain with the Chang'an Airlines based in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi Province, showcases the new version of China's Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card, becoming the first foreign pilot in the province to obtain such a permit.

China implements measures to facilitate entry of foreign nationals

China has put into effect a set of measures to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals into China for business, education and tourism, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said on January 11, 2024.

The new measures, effective from January 11, include a relaxation of port visa application requirements and access to visa extension, renewal and reissuance services at local immigration departments for foreign nationals coming to or staying in China for non-diplomatic and non-official purposes such as commercial cooperation, exchanges, investment, entrepreneurship, visiting relatives and personal matters.

Foreign nationals enjoy 24-hour direct transit without undergoing border check procedures at nine major airports in cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Xiamen and Guangzhou.

Additionally, multiple-entry visas are available for foreigners in need, and the application requirement for visa documents has been streamlined for foreigners staying in China, according to the NIA.

The NIA has vowed to continuously advance reforms and innovation in immigration management services and policies, improve the business environment, and contribute to the creation of a new development pattern.

An employee works in a broadband manufacturing plant of a copper company in Jinhua City, east China's Zhejiang Province, Jan.19, 2024.

China's foreign trade ends 2023 on solid footing with new driving forces

China's foreign trade closed 2023 with better-than-expected performances and new driving forces adding to the upward momentum despite challenges on both domestic and international fronts.

The country's total imports and exports of goods expanded 0.2% year on year to 41.76 trillion yuan (about 5.88 trillion U.S.dollars) in 2023, the General Administration of Customs (GAC) said on January 12, 2024.

Exports grew 0.6% year on year to 23.77 trillion yuan, while imports edged down 0.3% from a year earlier to 17.99 trillion yuan, the data showed.

The trade data has demonstrated that China's export products hold solid competitive advantages, with tech-driven products serving as new growth engines of the exports, Wang Lingjun, deputy head of the GAC, told a press conference.

The total export value of China's new tech-intensive green trio, namely, solar batteries, lithium-ion batteries and electric vehicles, surged 29.9% to 1.06 trillion yuan in 2023, topping the one-trillion-yuan mark for the first time.

The export value of machinery and electronic products, accounting for 58.6% of total exports, increased 2.9% during the period.

Although the overall 2023 export growth eased compared with that of the previous years, GAC spokesperson Lyu Daliang highlighted the fact that China's export figure has reached a new high on a high base.

The country has achieved reasonable growth in trade volume and retained its global share, Lyu said, citing the latest World Trade Organization data that had anticipated China's global share in terms of exports to remain at a high level of 14% in 2023.

In response to a media query on the drop in the import value, Lyu said that it can be attributed to falling commodity import prices. "China's imports in terms of quantity in fact grew, reflecting the continued uptick in production andbooming consumption demand."

GAC data also showed that private businesses have played a bigger role in prompting the growth of foreign trade. According to Wang, the total number of trade business entities with import and export records surpassed 600,000 for the first time in 2023, and private enterprises stood at 556,000, taking the lion's share.

The trade value of private enterprises took up 53.5% of the total, up 3.1 percentage points from 2022, while that of the foreign-invested enterprises constituted 30.2%.

Wang also noted that there's been an increase in the share of trade with the Belt and Road Initiative participating countries in total foreign trade. Last year, China's trade with these countries accounted for 46.6% of the total, up 1.2 percentage points from 2022.

Looking ahead, Wang was optimistic about the 2024 trade prospects. " A recent survey of major trade enterprises revealed that three-fourths of the firms expected their imports and exports to stay flat or register an expansion this year," Wang said.

Despite trade protectionism, heightened geopolitical tensions and other unpredictable factors, China has the confidence, capability and conditions to continue the sound development momentum of foreign trade in 2024, Wang added.