China saw 670 million inbound and outbound visits in 2019, up 3.8 percent compared with last year, according to the latest data released by the National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Saturday.

Photo: National Immigration Administration

Mainland residents made 350 million inbound and outbound trips in 2019, while the number of inbound and outbound trips made by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents stood at 160 million, 53.58 million, and 12.27 million respectively. Foreign travelers crossed the border into and out of China 97.67 million times.

The NIA has opened 89 fast passes in 18 ports like Beijing and Shanghai, serving 290,000 visitors.

The administration also instituted a 30-day visa-free policy in China's Hainan Province and 144-hour visa-free policy in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Province area, Yangtze River Delta and Guangdong Province for foreigners.

The NIA also facilitated "Internet plus" services to further enhance the convenience for cross-border trade and optimizing the business environment. 

(Compiled by Xu Zheqi)