China's tourism trade surplus is expected to increase as the country takes in more cash from inbound visitors than its outbound travelers spend overseas, according to the country's tourism industry watchdog. The inbound tourism market has emerged from the downturn following the global financial crisis and has grown continuously in the past few years, the China National Tourism Administration said in a statement on Monday. The country's outbound tourism industry has entered a stage of slower growth after experiencing rapid expansion, the statement said. Inbound tourism revenue rose 5.6 percent year-on-year to $120 billion in 2016, exceeding outbound tourism spending by $10.2 billion, according to administration figures. In the first half of this year, inbound tourists made 69.5 million trips; 62 million Chinese tourists went overseas, the statement said. Both the number of inbound trips and revenue generated have increased steadily since 2014, it said. China has vowed to develop tourism into a major driver for economic transformation and upgrading by 2020. The administration predicted that direct investment in tourism this year will jump by more than 20 percent from last year to 1.5 trillion yuan ($223 billion). In 2016, China's tourism revenue was 4.69 trillion yuan, about 11 percent of the national economy. Xinhua design your own wristbandcustomise fidget spinnerrubber bracelets custom cheap
China said on Monday it opposed the United States selling weapons to Taiwan, after the Trump administration approved the marketing license required for US manufacturers to sell technology to Taiwan that would allow for building submarines.The Defense Ministry, responding to a journalist's question in an online statement about the issue, demanded that the US "halt all forms of military links between the United States and Taiwan, as well as all forms of weapon sales to Taiwan"."China's military has the ability and determination to defeat all attempts to separate our country, and it will adopt all necessary measures to resolutely defend national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity," ministry spokesman Wu Qian said.Last month, US President Donald Trump signed a bill that encourages visits between the United States and Taiwan at all levels, which China strongly opposed.According to media reports, new US national security adviser John Bolton is expected to visit Taiwan in June.In response to Bolton's possible visit, Geng Shuang, spokesman for Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the one-China policy is the basis for the Sino-US relationship, and China opposes official connections between the US and Taiwan, or the US selling weapons to it."That stance has been coherent, clear and firm," he said. "We urge the US to halt any official connections and any move to enhance substantial relations with Taiwan. The US should also cut military connections with Taiwan and stop selling weapons to it so as to avoid damage to the Sino-US relationship and cross-Straits peace and stability."CHINA DAILY/REUTERS
