More Malaysians heading to Middle Kingdom

ONE after another, a friend or a colleague is headed off to China for a holiday.

Okay, maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration but there have indeed been a number of acquaintances who have gone there in recent weeks.

Since I’ve never been to the Middle Kingdom, my wife and I decided to follow the herd and be among the throngs of Malaysians who made their way there following the introduction of the 15-day visa-free entry for travellers from our country.

When the policy took effect on Dec 1 last year, China Daily reported that Malaysians formed the highest number of visitors on that day alone with 1,113 entries.

(Besides Malaysia, those from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have also been allowed visa-free entry. Out of the 2,029 visitors from these countries who entered China on that very first day of implementation, Malaysians topped the list.)

The number of people who visited China has since spiralled due to this privilege, which will be available until Nov 30.

Prior to the start of the policy, the Chinese Embassy in Kuala Lumpur pointed out that it processed nearly 260,000 visas last year; there was one day in which it handled 4,000 applications, which was the highest ever.

These numbers were revealed in a dual language statement – in English and Bahasa Malaysia – issued on Christmas Day last year by the embassy which noted “the enduring friendship” between the two nations.

My maiden trip to the Middle Kingdom took place late last month.

Even before my plane took off, I already felt welcomed, thanks mainly to the visa waiver programme. (A colleague who obtained a single-entry visa, just four days before the start of the policy, had to pay RM110.)

After about a six-hour flight, we arrived at the Beijing Daxing International Airport at around midnight. There is no time difference between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.

The place was surprisingly rather deserted. However, our local tour guide explained that the airport could be crowded at certain times depending on the flight schedule.

The weather in Beijing was cold with the temperature at 8°C then.

It got even more chilly as I queued up at the immigration counter to get my facial and fingerprints scanned.

Incoming passengers are allowed to register their documents or their facial biometrics at the check-in kiosks. But, somehow, mine could not go through. I was among the three travellers who could not register our documents at the kiosks at that time.

I was beginning to get anxious. What went wrong? Was it my passport or my security clearance? And with my limited grasp of Mandarin, how was I supposed to explain if I were queried later in that language at the immigration counter?

After some 45 minutes of queuing, it was my turn to approach the immigration officer. To my relief, the process went smoothly without any hiccups. My fingerprints and facial recognition “passed” the hurdle.

The Intelligent Passenger Security System using facial recognition technology at this airport, I was told, had been implemented since 2019.

This facial recognition system not only saves half the time of the registration process for new arrivals but also greatly improves the security of the airport as it automatically completes identity validation and faces information matching to ensure passengers have valid identification and flight tickets.

For the record, a Global Times report said the Daxing airport had welcomed 30 million passengers since it first opened in September 2019.

We left the airport for our hotel which was located about 50km away and checked in about 45 minutes later.

One evening during dinner at a restaurant, I encountered several fellow Malaysian holidaymakers.

Someone in that group was overheard waxing lyrical about the visa-free programme.

“This visa-free trial now would result in more Malaysian travellers coming here to discover the beautiful city especially the modern art at the Art District in Beijing. It’s a must see for art lovers,” the woman said in Hokkien.

Indeed, the implementation by Malaysia and China of a mutual visa-free policy marks a historic milestone for both countries in terms of friendly relations and mutual benefits for each nation and their people.

This is especially so when both countries are marking its 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties next month.

Malaysia, on its part, has announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens arriving at our shores between Dec 1, 2023 and Dec 31, 2024.

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry stated that Malaysia had registered a 35% increase in Chinese tourist arrivals in December alone following the implementation of the visa-free policy that month.

Malaysian ambassador Datuk Norman Muhamad to China said in an interview with China Daily in Beijing that the country had set a target of attracting at least five million Chinese tourists under this policy.

But allow me to share more about my Beijing adventure.

It was not so cold on Day Three with lots of sunshine when we visited the Forbidden City.

There, I saw another large group of Malaysian tourists, all getting excited to explore the most famous palace complex in China.

As we sat on the bench for a break and soaked up the moment on the lovely grounds, I saw a young Chinese woman approaching a tourist, asking if he needed a private tour conducted in multiple languages.

Out of curiosity, I went over to her to find out more about such tours. She explained that it would cost about 304 yuan (RM200) for a day-tour of Beijing.

A well-trained guide would be provided, who is specially picked to assist Malaysian, Thai and Singaporean tourists, she said.

“Next week, my company has been booked to guide a businessman who will be here with a group of Malaysian visitors for a holiday.

“The man has businesses in both China and Malaysia. He is bringing his staff members and business associates here to remind them about the close ties between the two countries,” she said in fluent English.

Malaysians’ interest to explore China is obvious but it is a reciprocal relationship, as there have been reports indicating that the number of Chinese visitors to Malaysia could almost double pre-pandemic levels.

For one, their fondness for Musang King is well known.

Now, should I talk about their yummylicious Peking duck?