Guangzhou Baiyun immigration records surge in passengers during Canton Fair

Immigration officers from Guangzhou Baiyun Immigration Inspection Station inspected over 1.16 million entry-exit persons between Oct 15 and Nov 4, representing a year-on-year increase of 14.2 percent.

Among them, more than 675,000 were foreign nationals, up 23.1 percent year-on-year and accounting for over 57.8 percent of the total, according to statistics issued by the station on Wednesday.

"Both the volume and proportion have hit new all-time highs," Cai Yingchun, deputy director of the station, said.

Over the 140th Chinese Import and Export Fair, known as Canton Fair, Cai's station saw daily entry-exit inspections surpass 60,000 on four separate days.

More than 136,000 foreign visitors arrived for business and visits, making up 39.4 percent of total inbound foreigners, 9 percentage points higher year-on-year.

This fall's Canton Fair, which opened on Oct 15, ended on Nov 4.

ASEAN arrivals rose steadily by 9.6 percent year-on-year, while European inbound traffic jumped 37.1 percent year-on-year.

Emerging markets, including the five Central Asian countries, delivered standout growth of over 57.7 percent.

Benefiting from visa-free policies, Canton Fair attendees can now combine their visit with business tours and Lingnan cultural experiences under the "one trip, multiple stops" model.

Such facilitations are driving more active trade and cultural exchanges, Cai said.

By Tuesday, Cai's station had handled more than 17 million entry-exit inspections this year, with more than 6.6 million foreign visitors.

The volume hit the 2025 full-year benchmark 61 days early, up over 30 percent year-on-year, an all-time fastest pace, Cai said.

As the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area's air gateway to the globe, Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport's rising cross-border passenger flows vividly demonstrate the resilience of China's foreign trade and the continuous advancement of high-standard opening-up, Cai added.