Guo Jiakun

Responding to a question about "China Shopping" that has been trending along with continued facilitation of inbound tourism service and departure tax refund policy, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday that the robust spending by inbound tourists reflected China's efforts in easing its visa policies, enhancing payment accessibility and streamlining tax refund policy, as well as China's sincerity to open wider and benefit the rest of the world. 

Commenting on media reports suggesting that the number of inbound tourism bookings has increased by 173 percent year-on-year for the upcoming May Day holidays, Guo said that "we welcome more foreign friends to visit and have a delightful stay in China. Hope more households and people around the world will enjoy Chinese-made products of high quality and favorable prices."

"Just like 'China Travel', shopping in China has gained popularity among foreign travelers. From the large numbers of foreign buyers who gathered at Chinese trade fairs to consumers from around the world exploring trendy stores, from local delicacies to souvenirs of intangible cultural heritage, from famous international brands to chic local products, and from high-quality Chinese goods to top-notch Chinese services, you can find a glimpse of the great appeal and vitality of China's consumer market," said Guo.

In 2024, inbound travelers spent about $94.2 billion in China, an increase of 77.8 percent year-on-year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

Prompted by a visa-free China Travel boom, discussion of "China Shopping" starts trending on US social media, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Netizens, feeling the impact of the US tariffs, are raving about high-quality, fairly-priced "Made in China" products, which they believe are on par with high-end Western brands.

In another effort to boost inbound tourism and consumption, China unveiled a set of measures on Sunday to further optimize its departure tax refund policy, allowing overseas travelers to apply for a refund if they spend at least 200 yuan ($27.75) at the same store on the same day and drastically raised the upper limit for cash refund from 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan. The country also further expanded the "Buy Now, Refund Now" tax refund policy, to ensure easy shopping and more tangible benefits for foreign consumers, according to Guo.

In addition to the trending "China Shopping," a large quantity of overseas buyers is also present at China's trade fairs.

The first phase of the 137th China Import and Export Fair, the country's largest trade event, witnessed an over 20 percent increase in the number of foreign buyers compared to the same period of last year, according to Xinhua. And over 60,000 global buyers attended the recently concluded the fifth China International Consumer Products Expo in South China's Hainan Province.