INFLOWING CONSUMERS

Cross-border trips by foreign visitors from Jan 1 to 3 grew by 29.8 percent from the 2025 figure to reach 828,000, among whom 292,000 were admitted under the country's visa-free policy, up 35.8 percent year-on-year.

Expanded visa-free entry policies and streamlined departure tax refund services are turning these inbound tourists into a new engine driving China's consumption growth.

During the New Year holiday, Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei, one of the world's largest wholesale electronic products markets, buzzed with international visitors, many arriving with empty suitcases or shopping bags for "Good price" purchases.

Mohammad and his wife, tourists from Iran, shared their haul: "We bought two digital cameras, a compact camera, a hair dryer, and most importantly, a translator device -- we can't go anywhere without it."

Greater facilitation contributes to the consumption boom. Data from the State Taxation Administration showed that the number of designated tax-refund stores nationwide had reached 12,252 by the end of last November.

Over the January to November period, the number of overseas visitors claiming tax refunds surged 285 percent year-on-year, while sales of tax-refundable goods and total refund amounts both rose 98.8 percent.

Developing Chinese cities into international consumption centers and boosting inbound consumption are key components of China's new five-year development blueprint.

Tao Xidong, a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, noted that building such cities requires more than just policy tweaks like visa facilitation, multilingual services, or optimized tax refund rules. "We must also adapt to new global consumption trends and demands," he said.

Tao suggested tailored initiatives targeting specific groups, such as overseas teenagers, college students and young couples, including premium products like study tours, educational training and family-friendly travel packages. He also called for targeted marketing campaigns in developed countries to tap new source markets and grow the base of international consumers in China.