In terms of geopolitical optics, this week was nothing short of a banquet. It served up at least two sets of images that seem to crystallize our historical moment and that will live on in the Wikipedia of history as shorthand for where the world was in 2025.
One is the waves of uncannily synchronized soldiers and a bewildering array of high-tech weaponry gliding down Beijing’s Chang’an Avenue. The ...
Category: Tourism
China’s Overseas Bullet Train: Malaysians Still Top Foreign Riders
China’s first overseas high-speed rail in Indonesia, the Whoosh bullet train, is carrying a steady flow of foreign passengers, and Malaysians continue to account for the largest share, the operator said. In less than two years since its inauguration in ...
Why China’s Middle-Class Families Are Flocking to Kenya for Summer Trips
In the summer of 2023, a curious travel trend began surfacing on Chinese social media feeds: middle-class parents were flying their children halfway across the world, not to Disneyland or a European city, but to Kenya’s grasslands. For China’s aspirational urban families, East Africa has suddenly become ...
China’s Hainan Islamic Pilgrimage Stopover Reveals Bigger Plans
China is quietly transforming the island of Hainan, located 20 kilometers offshore in the South China Sea, into a strategic transit hub for Muslim pilgrims from Southeast Asia, starting with Indonesian travelers seeking to make the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, known as Umrah.
China Eases Transit Rules for Indonesians. Jakarta Should Push for More.
China’s recent inclusion of Indonesia in its 240-hour visa-free transit program is a notable, if not entirely surprising, development. While Indonesia is now among the 55 countries benefiting from this arrangement, the move signals a step forward in the broader relationship between the two nations. For ...
China’s May Day Tourists Flock to an Unlikely New Hotspot: Central Asia
Over the recent Labor Day holiday on May 1st, an unexpected destination emerged as a top choice for Chinese tourists venturing overseas: Central Asia. While Southeast Asia once dominated the list of overseas travel favorites, recent high-profile cases involving telecom fraud ...
Analysis from Cobus van Staden
Hong Kong’s ASEAN Pivot: Strategic Muslim Outreach Amid Global Trade Uncertainty
As U.S. trade policy uncertainty casts a shadow over Asia, Hong Kong is moving decisively to deepen its economic and cultural ties with ASEAN. By positioning itself as China’s gateway to the region, the city is actively courting Muslim tourists ...
Jakarta Main Airport Scandal: 30 Immigration Officers Under Investigation for Extorting Chinese Visitors
Indonesia’s Ministry of Immigration and Correctional Affairs (Imipas) has removed 30 immigration officers from their posts and conducting investigation at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport following allegations of extortion targeting Chinese nationals. Minister of Immigration Agus Andrianto confirmed the action after receiving ...
Fears of Scam Center Kidnaps Keep Chinese Tourists on Edge in Thailand
By Montira Rungjirajittranon and Sarah Lai Chinese tourists visiting Thailand for Lunar New Year are worried about being kidnapped by gangsters to work in hellish scam centers, despite efforts to reassure them. Chinese nationals topped ...
Thai PM Makes AI Video Appeal to Chinese Tourists
Thailand on Wednesday posted an AI-generated video of its prime minister speaking in Mandarin, encouraging Chinese tourists to visit the kingdom despite reports of kidnappings on the Thai-Myanmar border. In the clip made by generative artificial intelligence posted to the government's ...
Thailand and Myanmar Agree to Step Up Fight Against Online Scams, Fraud, and Trafficking
The recent high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor in Thailand has raised safety concerns, diminishing the country's appeal among tourists ahead of China’s biggest holiday. Amid these concerns, Myanmar has stepped up, pledging to work with Thailand to tackle transnational ...
China Calls on Southeast Asia to Crack Down on Online Gambling, Scam, and Telecom Fraud
In a pointed appeal to Southeast Asian nations, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged governments in the region on Thursday to intensify their efforts against online gambling and telecom fraud, issues he said are harming citizens across borders. Wang’s remarks ...
Online Scam and Trafficking Lead to Mass Cancellations from Chinese Tour Groups to Thailand
As the Chinese New Year approaches, what should have been a bustling season for Thai hotels and airlines is taking a sharp turn. Tour groups from China are canceling their bookings en masse, and independent travelers are hesitating to finalize plans. The reason? Safety concerns from ...