Ports across China see surging cross-border passengers during National Day holiday

Chinese border ports have seen surging numbers of inbound and outbound trips during the first five days of the week-long National Day holiday.

The holiday, starting on October 1 and known as "Golden Week," is one of China's largest annual public holidays.

In the first five days, ports in Beijing saw a total of 240,000 inbound and outbound trips, a year-on-year increase of 40.4 percent, according to data from the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

Among the port crossings, over 20,000 inbound trips were made by foreign nationals, marking a 61.2 percent increase from last year. Inbound trips by visitors from Russia, the United States, South Korea and Germany exceeded those from other countries.

As of 17:00 on Saturday, the fifth day of the holiday, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport in south China's Guangdong Province handled more than 680,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips on over 700 flights, up 57.8 percent and 51.6 percent, respectively, according to the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

The airport has handled more than 4 million cross-border passenger trips so far this year, up 47.6 percent from the total of last year.

Hekou Port, located in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture of southwest China's border province of Yunnan, is the largest port in the Yunnan section of the China-Vietnam border. It has handled over 70,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips as of 17:00 on Saturday, an increase of 15.4 percent year on year.

According to data from the Shandong General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, ports in the eastern province have registered more than 74,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips during the first five days of the holiday, up 20 percent from the same period of last year, of which over 9,000 inbound trips were made by foreign nationals, a year-on-year increase of 19 percent.

Coastal cities, like Shandong's Qingdao and Yantai, have become popular destinations for domestic and foreign tourists.

Ports across China see surging cross-border passengers during National Day holiday

Ports across China see surging cross-border passengers during National Day holiday

The European Union's (EU) tariff hikes on Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) violate the rules of the World Trade Organization (WTO) but will not affect China's economic growth or its rising influence in the global market, said a Tajik economist.

The European Commission announced Friday that it passed a vote to impose punitive tariffs on Chinese EVs, sparking criticism from several European countries and auto industry groups who warn the move could boomerang against the EU competitiveness.

In an interview with China Global Television Network (CGTN), Rahmon Ulmasov, a professor at the Russian-Tajik (Slavonic) University, criticized the EU's decision, which he said restricts free trade.

"Firstly, the EU's imposition of tariffs on Chinese EVs violates the WTO rules. Secondly, the development of free trade should not be constrained by any legal mandates or resolutions," he said.

"Chinese manufacturers entered the markets of Europe and the United States a long time ago, and this will continue to be the norm. The reason is simple: China has the capability to mass-produce cost-effective products that consumers want and can afford," he said.

In his view, the tariffs are rooted in shortsightedness that misplaces blame on China for European economic woes.

"Moreover, Europe is facing a shrinking labor force and severe population issues, which is leading them to shift towards the Chinese market. Therefore, the measures attempting to block Chinese goods are only temporary solutions," said Ulmasov.

Moreover, he stressed, attempts to contain the development of China's economic prowess are doomed to failure.

"Chinese investors have a wide range of investment opportunities in Africa, Central Asia, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Therefore, even if the EU takes measures now, it will not affect China's economic growth or its growing influence in global economic development," said Ulmasov.

EU tariff hikes on Chinese EVs violate WTO rules: expert