China-ASEAN personnel exchanges surge, exceeding 25 mln in first 8 months

BEIJING, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- The number of trips between the Chinese mainland and member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) exceeded 25.24 million in the first eight months of 2025, up 11.2 percent year on year, data from China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) showed Wednesday.

From January to August 2025, ASEAN countries recorded over 14.5 million entries by people from the Chinese mainland, up 3.7 percent compared to a year earlier, per the data.

During the same period, inbound travel from ASEAN countries to the Chinese mainland rose 27.5 percent, exceeding 10 million arrivals, the majority of whom entered China visa-free.

According to the NIA, it will further introduce policies to facilitate cross-border trips, promote exchanges between China and ASEAN countries, enhance regional economic and trade cooperation, and continuously inject vitality into the socio-economic development of the region.