Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday led a central delegation on a visit to Shihezi, a city under the 8th Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps (XPCC), met local people and carried out inspections.
He led the delegation on a visit to the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps Reclamation Museum, which shows China's revolutionary undertaking of building the city of Shihezi and reclaiming land for farming in what was once a sparsely-populated desert. At the museum, He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, pointed out that people must carry forward the Corps' spirit, understand the connotations of the times, put resources related to the Party's heritage to great use, and pass down revolutionary traditions.
He said that the Corps should draw motivation from its own seven-decade history, and encourage officials and workers to stay dedicated to working and serving in Xinjiang, and make new and greater contributions.
At Xinjiang Tianye (Group), a state-owned enterprise which is affiliated to the XPCC, He listened to reports on the company's technological innovation and new industrialization development.
The vice premier said that the Corps should adhere to innovation-driven development, develop new quality productive forces according to local conditions, and accelerate a high-end, intelligent and green transition.
He urged the Corps to focus on clean and efficient use of coal, prioritize environmental protection and energy conservation, strengthen leading enterprises, and work on landmark projects in the modern coal chemical industry, to cultivate new momentum for industrial science and technology in pursuit of high-quality development.
Chinese vice premier urges promotion of Xinjiang's high-quality development during inspection tour in Shihezi
Catalyzed by China's visa-free policies, the airport serving Shenzhen City, a tech hub in south China's Guangdong Province, handled a staggering 5.5 million entry-exit trips in 2024, a record high in nearly five years, official data showed Monday.
The number of international travelers entering and exiting China through the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport surged 100.3 percent year on year in 2024, said the Shenzhen General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
In the year, 556,000 inbound trips were made by foreigners, up 114.8 percent year on year, with 225,000 visa-free entries, which soared 538.4 percent.
The airport's passenger throughput reached 20,400 people on Dec. 22, setting a new single-day record high since the full resumption of border crossings in early 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic. On that day, the airport registered a historic single-day record with 200 inbound and outbound flights.
"There are more international flights departing from Shenzhen than before. At the Shenzhen airport, self-service immigration procedures are now very convenient," said a Chinese traveler.
China has expanded its unilateral visa-free policy to 38 countries after the addition of nine more countries, namely Japan and eight European countries, starting from Nov 30 as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel.
On Dec 17, the National Immigration Administration announced the extension of permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days.
Under the updated policy, eligible citizens from 54 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Britain, the United States and Canada, can enter China visa-free when transiting to a third country or region.
"It's super easy to come to China with the visa free," said an international traveler.
The Bao'an airport commenced operations in 1991 and ranks among China's four largest and busiest airports.
Last year, the airport checkpoint helped expand 37 international passenger and cargo routes, and inspected a total of 54,000 inbound and outbound flights, a year-on-year increase of 60.5 percent.
Shenzhen airport handles 5.5 million entry-exit trips in 2024