BEIJING — China extended its visa-free period for people transiting through Beijing to 144 hours on Dec 28, and added neighboring Hebei province and Tianjin city to the program.

Transit air, train, and ship passengers entering either of the six border ports in Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei can stay in the region for six days before leaving China, according to Beijing’s Port Office. A valid travel document and a connecting ticket are required.

People from the 53 nationalities that previously benefited from Beijing’s 72-hour visa-free transit policy are eligible for the new policy.

Beijing offered 72-hour visa-free transit from 2013. In 2016, the border office logged more than 26,000 such transit visits, up 32 percent from a year earlier.