COVID-19 rules scrapped for border-crossers

People entering China were thrilled with the simpler and faster procedures they encountered on Sunday, as quarantine requirements and COVID-19 testing were officially scrapped.

At 9 am, Youyiguan Port in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region received its first batch of travelers. It's estimated that the change will result in increased numbers of border crossers. Youyiguan Port is situated in Pingxiang, China's southern gate bordering Vietnam.

"I'm the first one to come here," said Wang Kai, a Chinese traveler who used to work in Vietnam. "This morning I started lining up at 5 am. Everything is going smoothly. I appreciate my country for doing this."

The optimization of China's COVID-19 policy was also welcomed by businesses engaged in international trade.

According to Liang Donghai, the manager of a supply chain company in Guangxi, trucks can carry goods through Youyiguan Port, which improves efficiency and saves money. Liang added that with the construction of the cross-border railway between China and Vietnam, vehicle clearances have become much faster. Consequently, shipping costs have been reduced by 60 percent.

Dongxing Port, which is also on the Vietnam border, received hundreds of inbound Chinese travelers.

"I'm thrilled. Now that our country has relaxed its COVID controls, I can come back for a family reunion," a traveler surnamed Liu said.

With the approach of the Chinese New Year, Dongxing Port is projecting a massive influx of overseas migrant workers who will come home for vacation, so the local government plans to streamline entry and exit procedures for business travelers and tourists.

In Yunnan province, adjacent to Gaungxi, Hekou Port — the largest along Yunnan's China-Vietnam border — resumed services on Sunday. People from the two countries crossed the China-Vietnam Nanxi River Bridge and exchanged flowers to celebrate.

Hekou Port has opened both pedestrian and vehicle channels. It is connected to Lao Cai by land and water. For years, sightseeing and cross-border tourism in these places have been booming, and cross-border public transport has been developed. In 2019, about 6.61 million inbound and outbound trips were made though Hekou Port.

According to Hekou's Party Secretary Yu Yang, a Spring Festival gala will be held to strengthen bonds between people on both sides of the border. Also, during the Spring Festival holiday, visits will be exchanged by Party and government delegations. A series of investment promotions and cross-border tourism negotiations will also be conducted.

Huang Cong and Yang Tianhong contributed to this story.