Windy Shao

windysjf@hotmail.com

ON Jan. 10, 2021, aligning with China’s 110 emergency response number, the country celebrated its first Chinese People’s Police Day, honoring the service and sacrifices of police officers across the country.

To mark the occasion, officers at Shenzhen’s Luohu Checkpoint organized a festive event Thursday that featured souvenirs for travelers, including cartoon displays, refrigerator magnets, keychains, and blind box collectibles.

In celebration of the upcoming Chinese New Year, a wish wall was set up for travelers to share their hopes for the year, accompanied by traditional Chinese gifts. Travelers were invited to add their New Year greetings to the wall, while officers also shared updates on the latest visa and immigration policies.

The event’s warm atmosphere was further enriched by Hong Kong children offering well-wishes to the immigration police officers, engaging travelers through photo opportunities.

To foster stronger community ties, the checkpoint police have deployed multilingual service teams fluent in English, French, Vietnamese, and various Chinese dialects. This initiative allows both domestic and international travelers to connect with the approachable officers, strengthening the bond between the police force and the public.

“We have familiarized ourselves with dialects from different regions, such as Cantonese, Wuhan dialect, and Sichuan dialect, to enhance our public service capabilities,” police officer Zeng Wei said.

The National Immigration Administration recently announced an optimization of the visa-free transit policy, allowing overseas travelers to extend their stay to 240 hours, up from 72 and 144 hours. Travelers from 54 eligible countries, including Russia, Brazil, the U.K., the U.S., and Canada, can transit visa-free through any of China’s 60 open ports in 24 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities, provided they meet specific requirements.

“With the introduction of the updated policy, we have seen an increase in overseas travelers at the checkpoint,” police officer Chen Qi told Shenzhen Daily.

A traveler from Hong Kong, who holds a U.S. passport, inquired about the latest visa-free policy and promptly received detailed guidance. Field Ray, from Ireland, left a message on the wish wall, saying, “Best wishes to all our friends in China for the Year of the Snake,” and received a traditional “Fu” character decorative gift.

Tarun Malhotra, from India, gave a thumbs-up and said, “Good job and Happy New Year to Shenzhen police.”