A record number of people - 8,197,894 - entered or left
Shanghai last year, officials announced recently.
Officials from Shanghai's Entry and Exit Frontier Defense Inspection Station attributed the 18 percent increase over 2000 to major events that were held in the city, as well as increased ease to enter and depart.
They did not provide a breakdown for entries and departures, but said the number included travelers and employees of airlines and ships that use
Shanghai as an entry or exit point.
"In Shanghai, the number of air travelers who entered or left was the highest in China for the third consecutive year," said station spokesman Zhou Xiaodong.
Last year, 42,775 flights from home or abroad landed or took off from Shanghai, an increase of 17 percent compared to 2000, according to entry-exit statistics.
The number of ships that entered or left the city last year was 14,359, up 8 percent from the previous year.
"A key reason for the record number of entries and exits is that the city hosted several major events, such as the
Shanghai Five summit and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum last year," Zhou said.
Another reason is the city's continued opening to the world, said Zhou and other officials.
Last year, several new international air links were established and the city adopted a no-visa policy for overseas passengers in transit that allows them to stay in the city for 48 hours.
"More than 8,000 overseas travelers used the policy to get a glimpse of the city last year," Zhou said.
The popular package tours to foreign destinations were also cited as a reason for the record number.
Also last year, entry-exit soldiers seized 716 people who intended to leave illegally, as well as 57 "snakeheads" whose shadowy business is transporting human cargo.
Entry and exit officials also reported that more than 3,100 people who illegally sneaked into foreign countries last year were repatriated back to
Shanghai by overseas authorities.(eastday.com)
