Beijing, Shanghai start visa-free transit policy

 BEIJING, Jan. 1 (Xinhua) -- Travelers from 45 countries can now benefit from a 72-hour visa-free stay policy in Beijing and Shanghai, a move that could attract more transit¹ visitors.

On Tuesday morning, a Chinese Australian surnamed Zhou became the first visitor to benefit from the policy after he arrived at Beijing Capital International Airport.

Zhou knew about the policy when he booked his flight tickets. He decided² to stay in Beijing for two days before flying to Rome, Italy.

Tourists holding third country visas and plane tickets can now apply for a transit without visa at Beijing's international airport. Foreign visitors are not permitted to leave Beijing to other Chinese cities during the 72 hours, and have to depart from the capital city.

The 45 countries were listed in accordance with the numbers of inbound overnight visitors in Beijing from 2009 to 2011.

The same policy also took effect in Shanghai where visitors can submit applications at Pudong and Hongqiao airports.

1 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。