Xiamen in East China's Fujian province has welcomed 15 journalists from more than 10 countries and regions ahead of the BRICS Summit.
To promote the city's profile before the upcoming BRICS Summit from Sept 3 to 5, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited journalists from more than 10 countries and regions, including Russia, South Africa, Egypt, Cameroon and Germany, to visit the coastal city between July 27 and 28.
The journalists toured the city's Planning Exhibition Hall, local enterprises and Gulangyu Island.
A group of journalists visit Xiamen Planning Exhibition Hall. [Photo/ xmfo.gov.cn]
In an interview with Xiamen Television, Hilton Ndukong Kimeng, a journalist with the Cameroon Tribune praised Xiamen's development and was keen to share what he had witnessed with readers in his country.
Melanie Noeleen Peters, a journalist from South Africa, who was in agreement with Hilton about Xiamen's rapid economic advancement, said Xiamen's development model was inspirational and could be replicated in some African countries.
China has decided to extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the United Kingdom starting from Feb 17.
Forty-one new port-of-entry duty-free shops have been established nationwide, with Xiamen Xiang'an International Airport, Xiamen Wutong Passenger Wharf, and Xiamen International Cruise Center included on the list.
