February is coming, a new month, what are the new changes in entry and exit information, domestic policies, and overseas life? Let's take a look!
-Entry and Exit Information-
The mutual visa exemption between China and Singapore will come into effect
On 25 January, representatives of the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Singapore signed the Agreement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of Singapore on Reciprocal Visa Exemption for Holders of Ordinary Passports in Beijing. The agreement will officially enter into force on February 9, 2024 (Chinese New Year's Eve).
At that time, holders of ordinary passports of both sides can enter each other's countries without a visa to engage in private affairs such as tourism, family visits, and business, and stay for no more than 30 days. If you intend to stay in the other country for more than 30 days, you must obtain a visa before entering the other country.
Data map: The police of Qingdao Airport Border Inspection Station of Shandong Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station provide operational guidance for fast customs clearance of inbound passengers. Photo by Xie Hao
Special arrangements will be implemented for Hong Kong during the Spring Festival
Hong Kong SAR Chief Executive John Lee announced on the 23rd that the Shenzhen Bay Port will operate 24 hours a day from Chinese New Year's Eve to the fourth day of the Lunar New Year (February 9-13), and the Lo Wu Port will be extended to 2 a.m. on Chinese New Year's Eve and the second day of the Lunar New Year (February 9 and 11), and the MTR will also extend its service hours.
He said that the extended operation of the Lo Wu Port will allow the railway to carry a large number of passengers out of Hong Kong, dispersing the flow of people who would otherwise take cross-boundary coaches.
Data map: Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Jiuzhou Waterway Bridge.
International routes "overtime" out of the country
According to information from the Civil Aviation Administration of China, airlines have proposed that during the Spring Festival in 2024, more than 2,500 new international scheduled flights and overtime charter flights will be arranged, and the increase in flights will also directly drive the early heating up of international flight bookings during the Spring Festival in 2024.
Air China has launched a direct flight from Beijing to Istanbul, Turkey, and is preparing to open new routes to Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, while China Eastern Airlines has successively opened new routes to Auckland, Amsterdam, Budapest and Istanbul.
Beibu Gulf Airlines will resume direct flights from Nanning to Bangkok, and will add additional flights from February 3 to February 17 on the original fixed schedule every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
Juneyao Airlines' first new international flight to Northeast Asia during the 2024 Spring Festival travel period has arrived in Asahikawa from Shanghai Pudong. The newly opened routes will be carried out every Tuesday and Saturday.
Data map: On January 26, passengers traveled at Beijing Daxing International Airport.
-Domestic Hot Spotlight-
The "Catalogue for the Guidance of Industrial Structure Adjustment (2024 Edition)" will be implemented
The National Development and Reform Commission revised and issued the Catalogue for the Guidance of Industrial Structure Adjustment (2024 Edition), which will come into force on February 1, 2024. The Catalogue (2024 Edition) has a total of 1,005 entries, including 352 in the encouraged category, 231 in the restricted category, and 422 in the eliminated category.
Compared with the previous version, the encouraged category has added items such as "intelligent manufacturing", "agricultural machinery and equipment", "CNC machine tools", "network security" and other industry categories and related fields that are conducive to industrial optimization and upgrading, and the restricted and eliminated categories have added "fire protection" and "construction" industry categories and items that do not meet the requirements of green development and safe production in related fields.
The new version of the Administrative Measures for the Use of Donation Bills for Public Welfare Undertakings will be implemented
The Ministry of Finance issued the Administrative Measures for the Use of Donation Bills for Public Welfare Undertakings (Cai Zong [2024] No. 1), which will come into force on February 1, 2024. The Notice of the Ministry of Finance on Printing and Distributing the Interim Measures for the Administration of the Use of Donation Bills for Public Welfare Undertakings (Cai Zong [2010] No. 112) shall be repealed at the same time.
Data map: Teenagers participate in public welfare activities. Photo courtesy of the organizer
The Measures make it clear that the donation bill for public welfare undertakings can be used as a valid voucher for donors to donate to the outside world and apply for pre-tax deduction of donations in accordance with relevant national regulations.
The basic content of public welfare donation bills includes the name of the bill, the bill supervision seal, the bill code, the bill number, the payer's unified social credit code, the payer, the check code, the invoice date, the two-dimensional code (barcode), the project code, the project name, the unit, the quantity, the standard, the amount (yuan), the total amount (uppercase)/(lowercase), remarks, other information, the receiving unit (chapter), the reviewer, the payee, etc. When public welfare units accept donated property that can be used for public welfare undertakings, they shall issue public welfare donation receipts to the donors.
It is forbidden to solicit money or property under the pretext of marriage
The "Provisions of the Supreme People's Court on Several Issues Concerning the Application of Law in the Trial of Cases Involving Disputes over Bride Price" came into force on February 1. The regulations prohibit the extortion of property under the pretext of marriage. Where one party extorts property in the name of a bride price under the pretext of marriage, and the other party requests to return it, the people's court shall support it.
-Overseas Life Dynamics-
Brazil will launch mass dengue vaccination
Brazil's Ministry of Health recently announced that it will start mass dengue vaccination from February, with an estimated 3.2 million people vaccinated in 2024. As a result, Brazil became the first country in the world to offer a free dengue vaccine in its public health system.
Data map
A number of embassies and consulates abroad have issued notices on the Spring Festival holiday
February 10 is the Lunar New Year, the Chinese Embassy in Thailand, the Chinese Consulate General in Osaka and other embassies and consulates abroad issued notices that they will not be open to the public before and after the Spring Festival holiday.
The New Year is approaching, Xiaoqiao also wishes everyone a happy Spring Festival and a happy family!
Source: China Overseas Chinese Network (ID: qiaowangzhongguo) Comprehensive CCTV News, Chinese Embassy in Thailand, People's Daily Online, China News Network, etc
Editor: Xu Wenxin
Editor in charge: Ma Haiyan