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E-mail China.org.cn, September 11, 2024
CCTV:
With the rapid development of China's economy and the continuous expansion of its opening-up policy, Chinese ports are experiencing a significant surge in the volume and speed of inbound and outbound traffic for both people and goods. Given this situation, what measures has the NIA taken to ensure the security and smooth functioning of ports nationwide? What achievements have been made?
Liu Haitao:
Thank you for your questions. I'll answer them. According to the NIA, 341 million inbound and outbound trips were made from January to July this year, an increase of 62.34% year on year. Additionally, 18.176 million cross-border trips were made by various modes of transport, including aircraft, vehicles, ships and trains, representing a 52.09% year-on-year increase. These figures demonstrate that an open China provides enjoyable travel for passengers and ensures the smooth transport of goods. This smooth flow is closely tied to the immigration administration's policy support.
As for the effectiveness of these policies, I would say they can be encapsulated by the terms "more convenient" and "more efficient."
First, we have more efficiently ensured the smooth flow of industrial and supply chains. We've set up customs clearance "green channels" for major cargo flights at hub airports and implemented priority processing for critical and time-sensitive shipments. We've enacted simplified border procedures for direct round-trip flights and connecting flights. Additionally, we've introduced a one-stop border clearance policy for international passenger and cargo flights on direct round-trip routes entering and exiting the country. For maritime ports, we've adopted time-saving and cost-reducing measures to help businesses, including 10 measures to promote the construction of shipping hubs in the Yangtze River Delta, 16 measures to support shipping enterprises, and a zero-wait policy for inbound international vessels and a zero-delay policy for outbound vessels. Moreover, we have fully digitized border inspection services for matters requiring government approval, with more than 95% of border inspections now processed entirely online. We have introduced "fast channels" at land ports for key cross-border freight vehicles, ensuring immediate inspection upon arrival and expedited customs clearance. As such, 78,000 China-Europe freight train trips have enjoyed immediate inspection upon arrival at border crossings, with an average annual growth rate of 23.4%. The China-Europe Railway Express now delivers vegetables and fruits from Henan and Shandong provinces to Europe 30 days faster than maritime shipping.
Second, we have streamlined entry and exit procedures at border crossings for greater convenience. As I mentioned previously, the average border inspection time for Chinese citizens has been reduced to 45 seconds. I'd like to share two more data sets that are highly representative. The average clearance time per person at over 2,400 fast lanes in all 227 designated inspection ports for travelers nationwide is less than 15 seconds. As a result, over 1 million inbound and outbound travelers now enjoy efficient and convenient border clearance services every day. The average customs clearance time for vehicles at Hengqin port is no more than 2 minutes. Thanks to the new border inspection model, ports cooperate with each other to implement one-off customs clearance. This promotes the integrated development of Hengqin and Macao. There are a lot of other data sets similar to this. For example, we have implemented facilitation arrangements for border entry and exit for Belt and Road countries in 24 ports, setting up more than 200 special channels. This has enabled 10.66 million inbound and outbound trips by personnel from countries along the Belt and Road in the first half of the year, a 1.6-fold increase compared with the same period last year. Moreover, we've introduced a policy of 24-hour direct transit without border checks this year at nine hub airports: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xiamen, Chengdu and Xi'an. Therefore, over 2 million travelers have enjoyed this direct transit service without undergoing border check procedures in the past seven months.
Going forward, the NIA will continue to actively and prudently advance the institutional opening-up of immigration management. We aim to offer more support for Chinese enterprises, products and personnel venturing abroad while attracting more foreign investment, investors and enterprises. These efforts are designed to serve and promote high-quality development. Thank you.
