Passenger flows through ports in Beijing have topped four million this year as of Monday, up 23 percent year on year and surpassing the mark 18 days earlier than in 2024, said the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection on Tuesday.
China has seen a notable increase in the number of inbound and outbound travelers thanks to the relaxation of its visa-free transit policy, which has extended the permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers from the original 72 and 144 hours to 240 hours, or 10 days.
In the first two months of this year, the number of inbound and outbound flights at Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport reached 19,600, marking a 27 percent year-on-year increase. Additionally, the number of inbound and outbound passenger trips rose by 27 percent year on year to 3.26 million, according to the data released by the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
At present, inbound tourism from foreign visitors at Beijing ports continues to grow.
"As of March 17, nearly 939,000 foreigners passed through ports in Beijing, of which more than 236,000 enjoyed visa-free entry and 240-hour visa-free transit policies, twice as many as the same period last year," said Yang Lele, a staff member of the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.
Beijing ports handle over four mln inbound, outbound trips in first 3.5 months of 2025
China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) reviewed a record number of new drug registration applications in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, with antineoplastic drugs accounting for the largest share, according to the administration.
In 2024, the NMPA evaluated a total of 18,259 drug registration applications, a figure that reflects the vitality of China's innovation in drug research and development.
"The record number of reviewed drug applications is a clear sign of China's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry. The approval of high-quality new drugs not only gives Chinese patients more and better treatment options, but also shows China's increasing role in the global pharmaceutical market, offering more Chinese solutions to patients around the world," said Yuan Lijia, a staff member at the Center for Drug Evaluation under the NMPA.
Notably, in 2024, applications for clinical trial and market approval of new anti-tumor drugs ranked first among all chemical drugs and biologics, accounting for even half of the total.
"In 2024, anti-tumor drugs made up the largest share of approved clinical trial applications, with over 41 percent being chemical drugs and more than 55 percent being biologics. Throughout the year, anti-tumor drugs also led in the number of innovative drugs approved, with both chemical drugs and biologics surpassing 36 percent," said Geng Ying, an official with the center.
In 2024, China approved the market entry of 48 innovative drugs and 65 innovative medical devices. Its number of drugs in development ranked second globally, and several domestically developed drugs gained approval for global markets.
China's new drug registration applications hit record high in 2024
