Special report on the first day of mutual visa exemption between Xiamen and Malaysia
At 6:30 am on July 17, Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport ushered in a historic moment - Xiamen Airlines MF858 flight carrying more than 100 passengers arrived in Xiamen smoothly from Kuala Lumpur. This is the first direct flight from Fujian to Malaysia after the entry into force of the mutual visa exemption agreement between China and Malaysia. As an important hometown of overseas Chinese and a hub city of the Maritime Silk Road, Xiamen once again stands at the forefront of opening up to the outside world.
Xiamen border inspection data shows that since the trial of the visa exemption policy in December 2023, more than 178,000 Chinese citizens have traveled to Malaysia through the Xiamen port, an average increase of 97% compared with the daily average before the policy. At present, there are 68 flights per week between Xiamen and Kuala Lumpur, of which Xiamen Airlines has 8 flights per day, building a golden channel for the "Air Silk Road". Shen Wenjuan, director of Gaoqi Border Inspection Station, said that this year, more than 234,000 Chinese and Malaysian passengers have traveled through Xiamen, and the number of Malaysian passengers has remained the largest number of foreign passengers at Xiamen Port.
Relevant officials of the Xiamen Municipal Government pointed out that this policy will greatly promote economic, trade and tourism cooperation between the two places. Xiamen Travel Agency has launched new products such as "Visa-free Tour of Penang" and "Kuala Lumpur Business Express", and it is expected that the number of tourists to Malaysia during the summer vacation will increase by 120% year-on-year. Xiamen Airlines has also upgraded its services, providing air broadcasts in Minnan dialect and Xiamen-style airline meals.