China's National Immigration Administration said on Thursday that the country welcomed 210 million inbound visits in 2023, about 62.9 percent of the total seen in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic occurred.

Chi Jingyang, the NIA's border control management director, announced the statistics at a news conference held by the State Council Information Office.

He said he anticipated continued growth in the number of inbound travelers in 2024, which will coincide with further global economic and trade development, the resumption of international flights and the gradual increase in cross-border personnel movement.

"The NIA is committed to fully serving and facilitating exchanges and interactions between Chinese and foreign individuals," he added.