Border crossings hit 123m in third quarter

Immigration departments across China inspected 123 million border entries and exits in the third quarter this year, including 10.93 million made by foreigners, the National Immigration Administration said on Tuesday.

The number is a year-on-year increase of 454.4 percent, and equivalent to about 73 percent of the same period in 2019, it said.

The administration also inspected planes, ships, trains and vehicles on 6.43 million occasions, up 182.4 percent year-on-year.

From July to September, immigration administration agencies issued 4.66 million ordinary passports, up 1,356.3 percent year-on-year and equivalent to about 61.6 percent of the same period in 2019.

The number of entry-exit documents issued for mainland residents traveling to and from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions and Taiwan exceeded the level for the same quarter in 2019. Permits applied for by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan residents to travel to and from the mainland that were accepted, also topped the 2019 number.

A total of 608,000 foreign visa documents were issued, a year-on-year increase of 268.5 percent, and a return to the level of four years ago.

Immigration authorities also stepped up efforts to combat cross-border crimes. About 23,000 suspects were captured for obstructing the administration of the border, 1.63 metric tons of drugs seized, and 543 firearms, 136,000 rounds of bullets and 32 grenades confiscated, according to the administration.