2024-07-27 08:15:00
[The Epoch Times, July 27, 2024](Comprehensive report by Epoch Times reporter Ning Haizhong) After the epidemic lockdown was lifted, the number of foreigners visiting China did not rebound. Recently, the CCP has been unilaterally opening up visa-free countries, but the “inconvenience for overseas tourists to check in hotels” has become another obstacle. Several departments of the Chinese Communist Party recently issued a document requiring various localities to provide convenient accommodation for overseas personnel, triggering ridicule from netizens. The reasons why foreigners don’t want to come to China are also concerning.
Officials demand solutions to foreigners’ problem of “inconvenience in staying in hotels”
Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese Communist Party has encouraged foreigners to do business and travel in China in many ways, and has launched a series of unilateral visa-free entry policies. However, after foreigners land in China, they face problems in payment, accommodation, and attraction reservations. In terms of accommodation, some hotels do not accept foreign guests due to foreign hotel reception qualifications, etc., causing complaints from foreign guests.
On July 25, seven departments including the Ministry of Commerce, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the Ministry of Public Security, and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly issued a notice requiring relevant local departments and online platforms not to restrict travel and accommodation based on “qualification requirements” as thresholds. Business operators accept foreigners and other overseas personnel to stay, and operators cannot violate regulations and publish information that they do not accept foreigners.
The so-called “foreign-related hotel” regulations originated from the Chinese Communist Party’s “Regulations on the Star Rating of Tourism (Foreign-Related) Hotels” promulgated in September 1988. It is mentioned that all newly built hotels must obtain a preliminary star rating and a tourism (foreign-related) business license from the hotel star rating agency before they can conduct tourism (foreign-related) business.
After 2003, various places gradually lifted the approval restrictions on foreign-related accommodation in the hotel industry. But in fact, if a hotel accepts foreign guests, the hotel still needs to apply for relevant qualifications and submit registration information to the local police. According to the provisions of the “Exit and Entry Administration Law” of the Communist Party of China and the “Hotel Industry Public Security Management Measures”, if foreigners stay in hotels in China, the hotels must submit foreigner accommodation registration materials to the local public security department.
According to Jiemian News, some hotels are unwilling to take the initiative to apply for foreign-related business qualifications due to cost considerations or because they do not often receive foreign guests. This phenomenon is more obvious in budget hotels and small and medium-sized cities. The main reason why some hotels do not apply for foreign-related qualifications and refuse to accept foreigners is that they find the registration process troublesome and cumbersome and are afraid of taking risks.
A hotel industry staff member from Shenzhen revealed that when hotels receive foreign guests, registration information is strict. Name, nationality, date of birth, passport type, visa type, validity period, entry date, passport number and other information must be registered in the hotel. In the PSB system, “Once the registration is wrong, the hotel will be fined lightly or the hotel will be suspended for rectification.”
Many mainland netizens expressed ridicule regarding the joint document issued by seven official departments calling for “improvement” of accommodation for foreigners visiting:
“After decades of reform and opening up, this problem has not been solved?” “Release information that violates regulations and refuses to receive information? Is there still compliance with the rules?” “It is both necessary and necessary. If there is no problem, you must show your power even if you create problems.” ” We are still sorting out the accommodation issue, boss, and you don’t want to take it.
Some netizens said, “Outsiders call this an isolated island, and we lose contact as soon as we land. While welcoming people to come for tourism and investment, we also weaken supporting services and open up a little bit. In the past, half of the people who visited Nanjing Road were foreigners. Houses in good locations did not have to worry about tenants.” .
The CCP’s Internet firewall also makes foreigners feel very inconvenient, and hotels need to meet their special needs for accessing the “external network.” One netizen mentioned that the key is that foreigners need to apply for overseas satellite TV to stay, which is not possible for many homestays.
Some netizens said that not all areas are suitable for foreigners to live wherever they want. For example, Ejina Banner in Inner Mongolia has the Dongfeng Aerospace City (Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center) within its territory, which stipulates that foreigners must stay in several hotels and guesthouses that have opened a system for uploading foreigner identity information.
Not only staying in hotels, foreigners staying at the homes of relatives and friends in China are also subject to strict controls. The “Exit and Entry Administration Law” of the Communist Party of China stipulates that foreigners who live or stay in other residences other than hotels must register with the public security organ of the place of residence within 24 hours after checking in.
According to a recent report by Voice of America, Mr. Han, a community worker in Qingdao, Shandong Province, revealed that when people who have lived abroad for a long time come to visit relatives at residents’ homes, he will visit them one by one to remind them to register.
In fact, the Chinese Communist Party’s strict control over the accommodation industry is not limited to foreigners. In early July this year, a tenant in a rental house in Shenzhen failed to report to the authorities that his friend had stayed temporarily for more than seven days, and the landlord was fined 500 yuan. After the news was exposed, mainland netizens asked, “What era?”
Why does China under the CCP frighten foreigners?
After Beijing canceled its zero-clearance policy and reopened its borders at the end of 2022, the number of international tourists coming to China did not rebound.
Data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Communist Party of China shows that the number of international arrivals continued to lag during this year’s five-day May Day holiday. BBC Chinese reported in May this year that the number of foreign tourists visiting China was only about 30% of what it was before the epidemic in 2019. According to statistics, nearly 98 million international tourists came to China in 2019. There will only be 35 million in 2023, including business travel, students, etc.
Luo Sir, a big V who is certified as a creator in the workplace field, published an article on May 13 this year, “What’s more terrifying than the real estate decline is that foreigners are no longer coming.” He bluntly stated that China may be further away from “internationalization.” (Further reading:Expert on the implementation of China’s new national security regulations: Think twice before going to China)
As for the reason why foreigners do not want to come to China, it is generally believed that it is the after-effect of the three years of strict epidemic prevention measures starting in 2020, but this does not fully explain the current situation.
A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2023 showed that “individuals in most Western countries hold negative views of China, and these may cause discomfort to foreign tourists in China.”
The Communist Party of China’s newly revised “Counterespionage Law” came into effect on July 1 last year. It expanded the interpretation of violations of national security standards and increased the government’s power to search, seize, and implement personal entry and exit bans, making foreigners deeply uneasy. .
The U.S. government has warned citizens that due to the arbitrary enforcement of laws on the mainland, including laws related to exit bans, and the risk of improper detention, it is advising prospective travelers to “reconsider traveling to China.”
Australia advises travelers to China to exercise “a high degree of caution” and warns that “Australians may face the risk of arbitrary detention or severe enforcement, including under the broadly defined National Security Law.”
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council has also reminded Taiwanese people on several occasions that they should carefully evaluate their travel to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. (Further reading:15 Taiwanese have been detained and tried while traveling to mainland China. Taiwan’s National Security Bureau has issued a warning.)
In June this year, two stabbing incidents targeting foreigners occurred in mainland China. On June 24, a school bus full of Japanese children was attacked by a Chinese man in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. The incident resulted in the death of a Chinese woman and the death of a Japanese couple. Mother and son were injured. Separately, on June 10, four Americans were attacked and injured in a park in Jilin City, Jilin Province.
On June 10, 2024, a man in Jilin City stabbed four foreigners and a Chinese tourist with a knife. The murderer was arrested that day. (Screenshot from the video)
The attacks on foreigners have triggered concerns about escalating social tensions in China. The Japanese Embassy in China issued a warning to Japanese expatriates after the Suzhou attack: “Recently, stabbing incidents have occurred in densely populated places across China (such as parks, schools and subways). Please pay attention to your surroundings when going out. “
Editor in charge: Ye Ziming#
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