By Zhang Minjiao
　　Correspondence by Sun Jie
　　
　　A large, world-class aviation hub, Beijing Capital International Airport has earned a reputation as "No.1 Gateway" as well as "No. 1 Window" to China for international visitors.
　　The airport is the first stop for numerous international tourists arriving in China. As of May 15, Beijing ports recorded more than 7.3 million inbound and outbound passenger trips this year, with foreign nationals accounting for about 28%. To build China’s No.1 Gateway into "No. 1 window" to showcase the country’s unwavering commitment to opening-up,Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection（ Beijing I I Station ） has vigorously carried out all the strategies of China’s National Immigration Administration by further refining related policies, providing multilingual services and upgrading technologies.
　　At 11:30 am on February 14, three international flights landed at the airport’s Terminal 3 almost simultaneously. A huge batch of visitors from Japan, Germany, the UK, France, Russia, and other countries disembarked and headed to the immigration inspection hall. Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection had already prepared to greet the huge flow of inbound passengers, establishing a special lane for temporary entry permit applications and fast lanes for expedited border inspection.
　　"Anyone who needs to apply for a temporary entry permit, this way, please. If not, please take the lanes for foreign nationals." Sun Jie, deputy chief of the third squad of the second enforcement division under Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection, said fluently in English while standing in front of the special lane to direct the passenger flow properly.
　　"You’ve got a Swiss passport, so you can enjoy visa-free access. You needn’t queue up at the lane for the temporary entry permit application," Sun kindly reminded a Swiss national visiting China for the first time. "How convenient!" The Swiss man smiled with relief.
　　This was the second time German traveler Pitz had visited China. "The first time was 15 years ago, when your country had yet to offer the visa-free policy. So, I needed to apply for a visa from China’s Embassy in Germany. But this time around, I enjoy visa-free entry and I will stay here for four days. Much to my surprise, China has made tremendous achievements in the past couple of years. For me, everything I’ve seen is impressive," he said.
　　"How long are you going to stay in China during this trip? What places do you want to visit?" asked Cao Erwei, who had been working at the checkpoint since 9 am. He remained organized and patient while performing his duty in a brisk manner. "I came to China and visited Chongqing and Haikou last year. The trip felt very nice. That’s why I’ve taken my family to China again to visit Beijing. We are going to stay for a week," the old Japanese traveler replied.
　　"Please register the fingerprints of four fingers of your left hand," the Japanese audio prompt guided the traveler. It took less than two minutes for them to complete entry formalities.
　　In as little as dozens of seconds, the police officers of Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection need to verify a visitor’s ID, check their passports, and confirm the legality of their documents. Meanwhile, they need to talk briefly with inbound passengers to learn about their situations to ensure as quick immigration clearance as possible while shouldering the key task of safeguarding the national gateway.

　　Showcasing Opening-up with Multilingual Services
　　Zhang Yanmei, a Spanish language graduate from Tianjin Foreign Studies University, joined the police force in 2000. She was part of the efforts to provide security services for the Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics and the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, witnessing the dramatic changes to Beijing Capital International Airport and the immigration inspection program over the past two decades.
　　"Thanks to advances in technology, we set up fast lanes at the border inspection hall to speed up clearance. In 2008, Terminal 3 of Beijing Capital International Airport was up and running to further boost the airport’s position as an international air transport hub. This, however, posed higher requirements for our skills. I can sense that the number of inbound passengers has increased considerably over the years, whether for trade or tourism purposes. I’m glad that my language competence can be of some help to travelers and ensure them of China’s opening-up and inclusiveness," she said proudly.
　　One day in January 2025, a Spanish family was reaching anxiously to the police for help after their entry. As they do not speak English, Zhang Yanmei came to help. It turned out that the family’s child had left their smartphone in an airside washroom. Since the family had finished entry formalities, they could not return to the security-restricted area. After communicating with the family patiently, Zhang invited a civil police officer to guide the child to search for the lost phone, while the rest of the family members stayed where they were. With the help of the police officer, the child quickly found the phone in the washroom. Surprised at the rapid recovery of the phone, the family repeatedly uttered their gratitude to Zhang.
　　Experiences like Zhang’s are the epitome of the multilingual services offered by Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection, which boasts a dedicated team of police officers adept in English, Japanese, French, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Italian, Arabic, and other languages to provide multilingual services. The team are always active to answer travelers’ inquiries and provide guidance.
　　At the ports, there are often passengers who must go through exit or entry formalities immediately due to sudden health issues. When such a case occurs, Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection speeds up its services as much as possible and provide the sick passengers with medical treatment at the earliest possible time. On the afternoon of February 14, the second squad of the second enforcement division under Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection received a message from an airline that an Egyptian child with cerebral palsy on board flight MS955 was in urgent need of medical treatment. The squad dashed onto the flight to handle entry formalities for the child and assisted him in hospitalization.

　　Facilitating Cross-border Travel at All Ports
　　Since December 17, 2024, a 240-hour visa-free transit stay has been implemented at Beijing ports.
　　To make the entry more convenient for international visitors arriving in Beijing, Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection has launched several measures to ensure the safe and smooth flow of passengers at all ports. At the immigration inspection halls with large flows of inbound passengers, more inspection lanes and waiting areas have been set up. Furthermore, the Station incorporated border inspection and transit permit processing to streamline clearance. At Beijing Capital International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport, the procedure for issuing temporary entry permits was optimized via a pilot program. Apart from the existing counters for temporary entry permit applications, three extra dedicated lanes have been added for this purpose, with each one for both the temporary entry permit application and entry formalities, improving passengers’ border inspection experience.
　　French national Raphael, a sales rep for Airbus, has been living in China since 1996 and has traveled widely across China. As he often travels from China to other countries for business, his passport entitles him to use fast lanes at immigration. With only fingerprint verification required, it takes just a couple of seconds for him to complete the clearance procedure. "Beijing has been my second hometown. Now, thanks to China’s unilateral visa-free policy for France, it is a great convenience to travel between China and France. This year, I’m going to invite my parents to visit Beijing," Raphael smiled as he introduced his plan.
　　Fast lanes are designed to facilitate cross-border travel for Chinese nationals and foreign nationals with a Foreign Permanent Resident ID Card or who hold a residence permit with a validity period of no less than six months and have registered for fast-lane services.
　　As of May 15, the number of inbound and outbound trips made by foreign nationals through Beijing ports has reached 2.075 million this year. The number of arrivals by foreigners via the visa-free policy and the 240-hour visa-free transit policy has approached 550,000, double the figure in the same period last year.
　　Beijing Capital International Airport, China’s No.1 Gateway for international tourists to set foot on its territory, is an air bridge between China and the rest of the world. Offering efficient, dedicated, warm service to travelers from China and abroad, Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Immigration Inspection is to help each visitor to explore China.■
　　
　　 (Translated by Zhang Yanzhou )