ISTANBUL

China and Japan have seen a record surge in foreign arrivals, according to data released on Wednesday.

The increase in visitors to China, the world’s second most populous country, is largely attributed to its visa-free regime for around 70 nations.

International travel had been severely curtailed after governments worldwide closed borders in the early 2020s due to the fast-spreading COVID-19 pandemic.

According to China’s National Immigration Administration, the country processed a total of 333 million border crossings in the first half of 2025, marking a 15.8% year-on-year increase, state-run media reported.

Of these, foreign nationals accounted for over 38 million crossings.

Foreign nationals made 13.64 million visa-free entries into China, representing 71.2% of all foreign arrivals — a 53.9% rise compared to the previous year.

Recent reports indicate that China has expanded visa-free entry to 70 countries, including those eligible for transit visa exemptions.

Separately, Japanese government data showed that the country of 125 million people welcomed a record 21.5 million foreign visitors in the first half of this year, according to Kyodo News.

The Japan National Tourism Organization said arrivals surpassed the previous record of 17.78 million set a year earlier.

In June alone, Japan recorded 3.38 million foreign visitors, up 7.6% year-on-year and the highest ever for the month.

Notably, policies toward foreign visitors have become a central issue in Japan’s tense election campaign.

The country is set to vote on July 20 to elect 125 members of the House of Councilors, the upper house of parliament.