CCTV News: On September 17, the State Council Information Office held a press conference. A relevant official from the Ministry of Commerce said that since the beginning of this year, my country has continued to deepen the construction of an international consumption center city, continuously improving its international influence, consumption driving force, and central radiation power, and a series of policy measures have helped to continuously release the potential of inbound consumption. In the first half of this year, more than 19 million foreigners entered the country at ports across the country, an increase of 30% year-on-year, of which 13.64 million people entered the country without visa, an increase of 54% year-on-year. Sheng Qiuping, Vice Minister of Commerce, introduced that as of the end of August, there were more than 10,000 departing tax refund stores nationwide, three times that of the end of 2024; In August, the number of people enjoying departing tax refunds increased by 248% year-on-year, and tax refund sales increased by 98%. From the "small incision" of departure tax refunds to the "big stage" of visa-free policy, from the "diversification" of consumption scenarios to the "internationalization" of consumption environment, we will strive to make global consumers more convenient, more comfortable to travel, more affordable to buy, and feel a more open, inclusive, diverse and innovative China.
