A foreign tourist records with a Chinese-brand pocket camera at the Temple of Heaven Park in Beijing, capital of China, May 2, 2026. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

China's border inspection agencies handled a record 369 million inbound and outbound crossings in the first half of 2026, up 10.8 percent year on year, official data showed.

Visa-free entries by foreign nationals surged 30.6 percent year on year to surpass 17.8 million, accounting for 77.7 percent of all foreign arrivals, the National Immigration Administration said at a press briefing on Friday.