A series of arrangements have been put into place to facilitate the entry and exit of personnel related to the building of the Belt and Road, the National Immigration Administration announced Sunday.
“Belt and Road” channels are set up at 12 airport border check stations, including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen, as well as six land border check sites including Manzhouli and Horgos, to facilitate the entry and exit of both Chinese and foreign personnel and vehicles that are involved in projects and cooperation for the Belt and Road or are participating in Belt and Road-related conferences and activities, Qu Yunhai, deputy head of the administration, told a press conference.
Special services are available to help personnel involved in the construction of the Belt and Road apply for urgent certificates outside normal working hours, or collectively, according to the administration.
In another development, Shenzhen Customs reported growth in foreign trade with countries and regions along the Belt and Road in the first quarter of this year.
The trade value with Belt and Road countries and regions through customs increased to 257 billion yuan (US$38.2 billion) between January and March, up 13.1 percent year on year. The value accounted for 23.5 percent of the entire foreign trade passing through customs during the period.
The volume of fruit from B&R countries and regions imported through customs increased to 460,000 tons in the first three months, totaling more than 9.4 billion yuan. Durian, mangosteen and cherry from Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand and Chile are among the favorite fruits in China.
Exports to B&R countries and regions through Shenzhen Customs grew to 161.6 billion yuan, up 26.3 percent year on year. These exports included high-tech and advanced equipment manufacturing products.