Read in Chinese

Speakers:

Mr. Liu Haitao, deputy commissioner of the National Immigration Administration (NIA)

Ms. Peng Ling, director general of the Department of Citizens Exit-Entry Management of the NIA

Mr. Liu Jia, deputy director general of the Department of Foreigners Management of the NIA

Chairperson:

Ms. Xing Huina, deputy director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO

Date:

Aug. 19, 2024

Xing Huina:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), as part of the series "Promoting High-Quality Development." Today, we have invited Mr. Liu Haitao, deputy commissioner of the National Immigration Administration (NIA), to brief you on relevant developments and to take your questions. Also present today are Ms. Peng Ling, director general of the Department of Citizens Exit-Entry Management of the NIA; and Mr. Liu Jia, deputy director general of the Department of Foreigners Management of the NIA.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Liu for his introduction. 

Liu Haitao:

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. It's a great pleasure to meet you again. I would like to express my gratitude to you for your long-term interest in and support for the immigration management work. 

The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) issued the resolution on further deepening reform comprehensively. Established in April 2018 following reforms, the NIA has firmly implemented the series of important instructions and directives of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, regarding immigration management work. The NIA has continuously deepened immigration management reform as well as policy and institutional innovation, creating a secure, orderly and dynamic immigration management environment for high-quality development.

First, the NIA has significantly enhanced services to promote the nation's opening up and development. In line with the strategy of invigorating China through developing a quality workforce, we have implemented more proactive and effective immigration management policies to attract talent. This has involved improving a comprehensive response system for international talent in all links, including entry and exit, stay and residency, permanent residency, and social integration. We have facilitated and coordinated the introduction of a large number of international professionals across various fields such as science, education, culture, health and sports, including those urgently needed in critical sectors. These efforts have gathered an increasing amount of intellectual resources. By assembling the brightest minds from all over and fully drawing on their expertise, we aim to achieve greater self-reliance and strength in science and technology. We have proactively contributed to the creation of a new development pattern and accelerated the institutional opening up of immigration management. We have introduced over 300 measures to stabilize industrial and supply chains and to promote the development of shipping, saving shipping enterprises a total of 2.05 billion yuan in various fees since the beginning of the year. By helping enterprises ease difficulties, reduce costs and increase efficiency, we have consolidated and enhanced our new advantages in participating in international competition and cooperation. Furthermore, we have vigorously promoted personnel exchanges and interactions, issuing over 110 policies and measures to facilitate the entry of foreign nationals into China. We have continuously refined polices for visa-free entry, visa-free transit and port visas among others, leading to a steady rise in the number of foreign visitors. Recently, "China Travel" has gone viral online, with more foreign tourists witnessing firsthand a China that is open, confident, civil and safe. They have also personally experienced China's development achievements and the positive, united and hardworking spirit of its people. The 144-hour visa-free transit policy, which has become very popular recently, now covers 37 ports and 54 countries, and I believe vividly illustrates the high-level opening up and high-quality development of China's immigration management services.

Second, the NIA has consistently taken practical measures to make it easier for the public to obtain documents and handle procedures. In recent years, we have been dedicated to addressing people's expectations regarding exit and entry processes. To simplify document acquisition, we have introduced several policies, including "one-trip" and "nationwide accessibility" services for gaining exit and entry permits, full online processing for exit and entry permit replacement and reissuance, mainland services for replacing and reissuing the Mainland Travel Permit for Hong Kong and Macao Residents, and options for Taiwan residents to obtain mainland travel permits online, at ports or through centralized agencies. These initiatives have made obtaining exit and entry permits faster, smoother and more economical for the public. To streamline customs clearance, we have taken measures to ensure that Chinese citizens wait no longer than 30 minutes in line, reducing the average inspection time to 45 seconds per person. Our customs clearance speed has been among the fastest in the world. To enhance service satisfaction, we have established the Government Service Platform of the National Immigration Administration, offering one-stop services including service appointment, document processing and exit-entry record inquiries. We have also launched the 12367 service hotline, providing 24/7 policy consultation. Additionally, we have rendered the use of exit-entry permits more convenient, so that Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents, as well as overseas Chinese, can enjoy convenience in 35 areas such as travel, communication and financial services, simply by using their exit-entry permits. 

Third, we have safeguarded national security and stability of borders through new efforts. High-quality development depends on high-level security. These last few years, we have always adhered to enforcement that is strict, standardized, impartial and civilized. We protect lawful actions, crack down on illegal ones and guide people to abide by the law, maintaining the normal order in entry and exit administration according to the law. The entry-exit and border inspections at ports are tight. Foreigners' visas are signed and issued in adherence with the rules. Border patrol and control have been strengthened. For four straight years, we have conducted special actions to combat criminal activities disturbing border management, cracking down on illegal border crossings, cross-border gambling and electronic fraud, the smuggling and trafficking of drugs as well as other cross-border illegal and criminal activities. This has resulted in a continuous decrease in the number of illegal border crossings, with the security situation at the border continuing to improve. After years of efforts, the order of entry-exit administration is the best in history. Immigration administration is becoming a brand-new window for China's efforts in advancing law-based governance and ensuring security. 

The third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee raised new requirements on further deepening reform and promoting modernization in immigration administration while injecting new momentum for implementation. We will thoroughly study and implement the spirit of the third plenary session, stepping up efforts to boost development while ensuring security, increasing vitality while maintaining order, and strengthening regulation while improving services in order to continue our contribution to Chinese modernization.

That's all for now. Next, my colleagues and I are happy to take your questions. Thank you!

Xing Huina:

The floor is now open to questions. Please identify the news agency you work for first.