On May 1, a foreign tourist took a photo with the performers at the passenger transport hall of Tianjin International Cruise Home Port. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhao Zishuo

Xinhua News Agency, Tianjin, May 16th Title: "It's really like the stars and the sea": Foreigners experience the energy of China's super-large-scale market at close distance

Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhang Yuqi

American Amanda recently came to China for the first time, not only experiencing the spectacularity of the Great Wall, "one of the seven wonders of the world", but also experiencing the energy of China's super-large-scale market.

"In Tianjin, locals told me that an international consumption center city is being built here." Amanda said, "You can feel that the vast and rich Chinese market is really like the stars and seas."

The convenience of "China Travel" continues to improve, cross-border mobile payments are iterating, and the pilot promotion of "buy and refund" for departure tax refunds... From "China Travel" to "China Shopping", various institutional opening measures are transforming into real attraction to foreign tourists.

At the crowded attractions such as Tianjin Ancient Culture Street, Monica, a Canadian who traveled with her family, bought a lot of Chinese cultural specialty products and also tasted local delicacies such as pancakes.

Liu Yanan, the person in charge of the tour group accompanied by, tried her best to help Monica's group solve cross-border mobile payment and other problems. Seeing Monica curious about the deliverymen shuttled around the streets, Liu Yanan also recommended them to experience convenient takeaway shopping in China, and told them that they could also buy Chinese products through cross-border e-commerce after returning to China.

Consumption scenarios across China are also becoming greener, digital, quality and personalized.

Foreign tourists were surprised to find that new energy vehicles could be seen driving on the road at any time; in many scenic spots, you can also rent mountaineering exoskeletons to assist in walking, and monitor your physical condition in real time.

"Promoting the expansion of inbound consumption" was written into the 2025 China Government Work Report, and policy dividends continue to be released. In April this year, the State Administration of Taxation further refined and clarified the specific content and processing procedures of the "buy now and refund" service measures, and encouraged more tax refund stores to join.

On May 1, tourists handled foreign currency exchange at the Tianjin International Cruise Home Port. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Zhao Zishuo

Data from the State Immigration Administration of China showed that during this year's May Day holiday, 1.115 million foreigners entered and left the country, an increase of 43.1% over the same period last year; among foreigners, 380,000 people entered the country under the visa-free policy, an increase of 72.7% over the same period last year.

China has been ranked second largest commodity consumer market and largest online retail market for more than ten consecutive years. Consumption has contributed the highest rate of growth to the world's second largest economy, and new market space is still expanding.

Xu Hong, dean of the School of Tourism and Service of Nankai University, said that although there may be problems such as large flow of people and difficulty in making appointments at the moment, there will be more detailed measures in the future to make the "Chinese travel" and "Chinese shopping" of foreign tourists more and more "silky", making China not only an important international tourism destination, but also an important international consumption center.

China's super-large-scale market advantages cover many aspects such as economic aggregate, market capacity, industrial system, human capital, etc. These advantages are combined to make China's economy more resilient and competitive.

It is not only foreign tourists who enjoy the dividends of China's super-large market, but also many foreign-funded companies.

Because it values ​​China's market vitality and innovation prospects, GE Healthcare said it will invest 500 million yuan more to its headquarters in Tianjin's Eastern Hemisphere in the five years starting from 2024.

"We will continue to increase our investment in the Chinese market." Kelly Lundi, president and CEO of GE Medical's global magnetic resonance business, said at the listing ceremony of the MRI headquarters in the Eastern Hemisphere.

The resulting supply chain integration is also deepening. For GE Medical, which focuses on innovation, China's super-large market and perfect supply chain have outstanding advantages.

When GE Healthcare plans to enhance its next-generation magnetic resonance equipment, it puts higher demands on superconducting wires. Western Superconducting Materials Technology Co., Ltd., which provides core components for GE Medical, has quickly responded through precise research and development to create higher performance superconducting wires.

Guo Qiang, deputy general manager of Western Superconductor, said that through continuous innovation, the company has developed into a leading superconducting wire supplier in the global industry.

On February 11, an unpainted Airbus A350 wide-body passenger plane flew from Toulouse, France to Tianjin Binhai Airport. Xinhua News Agency issued a

In addition, the well-known multinational company Airbus also values ​​the potential of the Chinese market. The second assembly line of the A320 series aircraft it built in Tianjin is expected to be put into production in early 2026.

When seeing Tesla electric cars passing by on the road, Amanda was surprised: "I didn't expect that American-branded new energy vehicles are so popular in China." In 2024, Tesla electric cars sold in mainland China hit a record high of more than 650,000 vehicles.

China's super-large-scale market has provided important support for China's economic development and has also expanded space for world economic growth.

Saudi Aramco President Nasser said that China's super-large-scale market and industrial chain and supply chain resilience provide multinational companies with a stable investment environment and considerable returns. As of 2024, Saudi Aramco's cumulative investment in China exceeded 200 billion yuan.