Preparations in top gear in China's Harbin as 30-day countdown to Asian Winter Games starts

With the 30-day countdown to the 2025 Asian Winter Games starting, preparations for the Games have been in top gear in northern Chinese city of Harbin, also a popular ice and snow tourism destination.

As the preparations for the Game have entered its final stage, Harbin has already completed seven of the 14 test events, including figure skating, ice hockey, curling and cross-country skiing.

A speed skating test event is scheduled for this weekend, featuring over 65 athletes competing in seven disciplines. Organizers said that key preparations are well underway, and arrival and departure services have been ready at airports and train stations.

To improve transportation, railway capacity has been enhanced in the city, including adding three dedicated sightseeing trains, as Harbin aims to showcase its commitment to making the Games a success.

Harbin Taiping International Airport, the designated entry and exit hub for the event, has set up a "dedicated customs channel of Asian Winter Games." The Harbin Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station has deployed guidance officers to assist with clearance for event participants and staff.

Since December 17, 2024, Harbin Taiping International Airport has been implementing a 240-hour transit visa exemption policy, extending the original three-day stay to 10 days.

This is in line with China's new its visa-free transit policy, which extends the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days. Effective on December 17 last year, 21 additional ports have been designated for visa-free entry and exit, and the areas in which transit travelers can stay have been expanded, according to a statement from National Immigration Administration.

The number of entry ports where the new policy applies has increased from 39 in 19 provinces to 60 in 24 provinces nationwide, allowing transit visa-exempt tourists to move freely across these specified provincial-level regions during their 10-day stay.

"As the policy is in place now, we no longer need to apply for a Chinese visa for our child, who holds foreign nationality, as we did before. Now, we just need to fly back and can spend about a week in Harbin, then we'll go to Beijing for three days, which will fulfill the requirement of a total of 10 days," said Liu Yicong, an overseas Chinese.

Featuring an extensive air traffic network with 19 international routes connecting with Russia, Japan, South Korea, and other countries and regions, Harbin Taiping International Airport hopes to be well-prepared to welcome participants and officials from across the continent.

The entry and exit services will begin on January 27.

Preparations in top gear in China's Harbin as 30-day countdown to Asian Winter Games starts

Preparations in top gear in China's Harbin as 30-day countdown to Asian Winter Games starts

The Syrian government and people have roundly welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump's announcement to lift all sanctions against Syria, with many believing it will give a major boost to the conflict-ravaged country's recovery from years of civil war.

Trump announced during his visit to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday that he would remove the long-standing sanctions on Syria, with the Syrian foreign ministry welcoming the move as a "pivotal turning point for the Syrian people".

Another significant moment came on Wednesday when Trump held a face-to-face meeting with Syrian interim leader Ahmed al-Sharaa in the Saudi capital Riyadh -- marking the first encounter between a U.S. president and a Syrian leader in decades -- with the two discussing the normalization of bilateral ties.

Prior to Trump's announcement, the Syrian foreign ministry noted that the long-imposed sanctions, which originally applied to the former government, were still having a direct impact on the Syrian people and had hindered efforts to facilitate the country's post-war recovery and reconstruction.

The news of the removal of all U.S. punitive measures was immediately met with an outpouring of joy in Syria, with large crowds taking to the streets of Damascus and elsewhere in the country to celebrate.

The Syrian pound also reportedly gained in value following Trump's decision.

Ziad Arabsh, an economic consultant for the Syrian government, said the U.S. move has now cleared a major obstacle to Syria's economic recovery and post-war reconstruction efforts.

"The access of Syria to the world technology is extremely vital to rebuild the long years [of] destroyed infrastructure, and this will lead to the economy [being boosted] and help Syria in [its] reconstruction instead of sliding into fragmentation," Arabsh said in an interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) in Damascus.

Trump's surprise announcement came on the first day of his four-day whirlwind tour across the Middle East, which has seen him visit Saudi Arabia and Qatar before he is expected to conclude the trip in the United Arab Emirates.

Trump's remarks about the sanctions relief and his meeting with al-Sharaa came at a time when the new leadership in Damascus is striving to rally international support for the country to cope with extreme challenges after over a decade of conflict and economic hardship.

Syrians welcome Trump's announcement to lift all sanctions