BEIJING, Oct. 20 -- Chinese border authorities handled 192 million entries and exits in the third quarter of 2026, up 7.9 percent from a year earlier, officials said on Tuesday.

Foreign nationals made 23.27 million border crossings from July to September, up 15.6 percent year on year, according to the National Immigration Administration.

Visa-free entries by foreign nationals reached 8.99 million, accounting for 77.5 percent of all entries by foreign nationals, a 24.1 percent increase year on year.

Since December 2023, when China launched a trial policy granting unilateral visa exemptions to visitors from six countries, it has expanded unilateral visa-free entry to travelers from 50 countries as of September. The policy allows eligible visitors to stay for up to 30 days.

It also extended the visa-free transit period for certain countries from 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours in December 2024. There are 57 eligible countries so far.