Chinese custom witnessed 345 million entry-exits in 2007, up 8.38 percent over 2006, the Ministry of Public Security has reported.

Two-thirds of the entry-exits were made by Hong Kong and Macao residents, 23 percent by Chinese mainland residents and 14 percent by foreigners. The rest of entry-exits were made by Taiwan residents, according to the ministry's Exit-Entry Administration.

The ministry announced that last year the country checked 81.3 million entry-exits of Chinese mainland residents, up 18.49 percent from the previous year, according to Beijing Evening News.

Officials with the ministry attributed the increase to fewer restrictions on Chinese mainland tourists traveling overseas, the newspaper said.

Last year saw a total of 14.6 million entry-exits via Beijing Capital Airport, an increase of 2 million over 2006. The illegal entry-exits decreased, according to the city's exit-entry frontier inspection station.

Frontier inspection organs throughout the country checked 52.1 million entry-exits from other countries, 224 million from Hong Kong and Macao and 9.24 million from Taiwan in 2007, up 17.61 percent, 2.93 percent and 4.83 percent, respectively, compared with the figures of 2006.

Chinese mainland residents took Hong Kong as the most favorite destination, followed by Macao, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Vietnam, Russia and Thailand, the newspaper said.

The Republic of Korea, Japan, Russia and the United States top the list of foreigners traveling to the Chinese mainland.

Shanghai Pudong Airport received the most people from other countries and regions, followed by Beijing Capital Airport with 8.3 million entry-exits.

(Xinhua News Agency January 11, 2008)