While the volume of goods and number of trains crossing back and forth over the China-Kazakhstan border in Horgos, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, continue to break records, passenger crossings are also on the increase, border officials said.
据边境官员称，在新疆维吾尔自治区霍尔果斯市，中哈边境的货物运输量和列车数量不断创下新高的同时，过境旅客人数也在不断增加。
According to the Xinjiang Exit-Entry Border Inspection Station in Horgos, a record high of some 280,000 crossings have been made at the border during the first quarter of this year, a 30 percent year-on-year increase.
据新疆霍尔果斯出入境边防检查站统计，今年第一季度，该边境口岸过境旅客约28万人次，同比增长30%，创历史新高。
The number of people crossing the border has significantly increased after the agreement on mutual visa exemption between China and Kazakhstan went into force on Nov 10, 2023, said Fu Ruichao, a border inspection officer.
边防检查站官员符睿超表示，自2023年11月10日中哈互免签证协定生效以来，过境旅客人数大幅增加。
"Before the agreement took effect, we would normally see 20 buses taking passengers to the Chinese border every day. Now, the number is between 50 and 60, which means the number of passengers has also surged," Fu said.
“协定生效前，我们每天通常能看到20辆大巴将旅客送往中国边境。现在，每天有50到60辆，这意味着旅客数量也大幅增加。”符睿超说。
Chinese and Kazakh citizens have been granted visa-free access to each other's country for no more than 30 days for a single crossing, and are allowed to stay in the other country for a cumulative total of 90 days within 180 days.
中国和哈萨克斯坦公民已享受互免签证待遇，单次入境停留不超过30天，180天内在对方国家累计停留不超过90天。
"We've seen an obvious increase in the number of Chinese tourists making trips to Central Asian countries, foreign traders, people who seek advanced medical treatments in China and foreign students," Fu said.
符睿超表示：“我们发现前往中亚国家的中国游客、外国贸易商、来华就医的人员以及留学生数量明显增加。”
Another visa-free agreement between China and Uzbekistan came into effect on June 1, Fu said, adding that he expects to see more Chinese tourists explore the Silk Road by visiting Kazakhstan via Horgos and then Uzbekistan.
符睿超还指出，自6月1日起，中国与乌兹别克斯坦的互免签证协议也已正式生效。他预计，未来会有更多中国游客通过霍尔果斯口岸前往哈萨克斯坦，再延伸至乌兹别克斯坦，开启丝绸之路之旅。
"Such agreements have further improved personnel and trade exchanges between China and Central Asian countries," he said. "It also means that we must be prepared for the travel rush in advance. While improving the efficiency of inspection and further facilitating opening-up, we will always prioritize border security, which is key to national security."
他表示：“此类协议进一步促进了中国与中亚国家之间的人文和经贸交流。”他补充说，“这也意味着我们必须提前做好迎接客流高峰的准备。在提升通关效率、深化对外开放的同时，始终要把边境安全放在首位，因为它关乎国家安全。”
At the China-Kazakhstan Horgos International Border Cooperation Center, Zhang Liangbo, another border inspection officer, has also had to cope with a large influx of people entering the center for business and tourism.
在中哈霍尔果斯国际边境合作中心，边检官员张良波也正在应对持续增长的商务与旅游入境人流。
The center allows business people from both countries to showcase their products, discuss cooperation and sign deals all under one roof.
该中心为两国商界人士提供了展示产品、洽谈合作、签署协议的平台。
In 2012, there were some 270,000 visits to the center. The number surpassed 6 million in 2019. In the first four months of this year, over 3 million visits have been made to the center, a year-on-year increase of 104 percent, according to official figures.
2012年，该中心接待了约27万人次。2019年，这一数字超过了600万人次。官方数据显示，今年前四个月，该中心接待了超过300万人次，同比增长104%。
"As the Belt and Road Initiative and Horgos itself become more influential, more and more people from other parts of China will visit the center so they don't miss out on the business opportunities," Zhang said.
“随着‘一带一路’和霍尔果斯本身影响力的不断扩大，越来越多来自中国其他地区的人来到这里，希望抓住商机。”张良波说。
Fu said although the border inspection officers in Horgos are busier than ever, they are glad to witness the BRI bearing fruit. "It shows that China has more partners and friends so it's all worth it," he said.
符睿超表示，尽管霍尔果斯的边检官员比以往任何时候都更加忙碌，但他们很高兴看到“一带一路”取得丰硕成果。他说：“这表明中国拥有了更多的合作伙伴和朋友，所以这一切都是值得的。”
exemption
/ɪɡˈzempʃn/
n.免除，豁免
influx
/ˈɪnflʌks/
n.大量涌入
facilitate
/fəˈsɪlɪteɪt/
v.促进，使便利
inspection
/ɪnˈspekʃn/
n.检查，审查
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