Xiamen immigration authorities fully restored fast-lane entry and exit services on May 15 to facilitate cross-border travel.
By 5 pm that day, more than 2,700 passengers used the fast lanes at Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport, while over 150 passed through the fast channels at Wutong ferry terminal. There were 18 fast lanes at Gaoqi airport, and 22 at the Wutong ferry terminal.
The waiting time for passengers was reduced significantly due to these fast lanes. Each person took only about 10 seconds to clear customs.
Fast clearance channels usually have two automatic gantries. The first one scans the ID card and the second performs facial recognition and fingerprint verification.
"From registration to clearance, it only took three to four minutes. It's really convenient," said Mr. Qiu, a passenger who went through the fast channel at the Wutong ferry terminal.
Officials guide passengers through the fast clearance channel. [Photo by Zhang Chen/xmnn.cn]
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.
