by Xinhua writers Li Kun and Song Rui
TIANJIN, July 23 (Xinhua) -- In the morning, Pakistani Muhammad Salman Nasir drives his China-made electric vehicle to the State Key Laboratory of Engines at Tianjin University in north China's Tianjin Municipality.
Nasir, 37, first came to China in 2017 to pursue his studies. Now, he has chosen to build his career and life here.
"I chose to stay not only because of the clear research direction and stable platform offered by China's 'dual carbon goals,' but also because life here gives me a profound sense of certainty," he said. China has set the dual carbon goals of peaking carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieving carbon neutrality before 2060.
China has seen a growing number of foreign visitors. According to the National Immigration Administration, the country recorded 22.91 million inbound foreign visits in the first half of 2026, a year-on-year increase of 20.4 percent, with visa-free entries accounting for 77.7 percent.
More foreigners are coming to China for work, life and travel, drawn by factors including convenience, public safety and a tangible futuristic vibe.
CONVENIENT LIFE
When not driving, Nasir finds the metro and bus systems in the city convenient, while shared bikes help him cover the final stretch between the campus gate and his lab. Parks, clinics and supermarkets are all within easy reach of his neighborhood.
Appreciation for such conveniences is common among foreigners living in China.
Ivan Monich, an associate professor at Tianjin Foreign Studies University who hails from Russia, frequently travels between Tianjin and Beijing by high-speed train, a journey of around half an hour.
Mobile apps that combine navigation, real-time traffic and ride-hailing services spare him the hassle of planning travel. "Everything I need is right there in one app," Monich said.
China has been improving services for international visitors. Recent updates to guidance for foreign business professionals include information on applying for eSIM cards and the new list of cities where foreigners can use mobile payment apps or bank cards to take the metro.
These measures have reduced some of the challenges faced by foreigners in China. "China offers high-quality services while keeping prices reasonable, giving people access to diverse options at a lower cost," Nasir noted.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS
Late in the night, China's thoroughfares glow with dazzling lights. Street food stalls are filled with the buzz of diners, while pedestrians walk at a leisurely pace. Such scenes recur time and again in travel vlogs created by overseas content creators.
Christoph Schrempp, general manager of Airbus Tianjin Delivery Center, who has lived in China for over a decade, said this sense of safety has changed his lifestyle.
"I don't have to adjust what I wear based on where I'm going. I can go out for dinner with my family late at night without any concern. I feel much more relaxed overall," he said.
Perceptions of safety in China are reflected in international surveys. China ranks among higher-scoring countries globally in terms of public feelings of safety and law and order, according to Gallup's 2025 Global Safety Report.
Official data show that in the first five months of 2026, criminal cases filed by public security authorities fell 16.1 percent year on year in China, while public security cases dropped by 10.6 percent. In 2025, Chinese citizens' sense of security reached 98.2 percent, remaining above 98 percent for six consecutive years.
Huang Haitao, deputy director of the Center for Human Rights Studies at Nankai University in Tianjin, attributes this to China's people-centered, highly effective social governance system, as well as the deeply rooted cultural values of goodness and trust. In a world plagued by frequent regional conflicts and governance failures, this sense of security is all the more precious, Huang said.
FUTURISTIC VIBE
For Schrempp, super apps like WeChat and Alipay handle nearly every aspect of daily life. "You scan a QR code to take the bus, and in parking lots you don't need to take a ticket or fumble for change," he said.
Today in cities across China, driverless cars can be seen cruise on streets and robots assist with traffic management. Utility bills and school registrations can be completed with a few taps on a smartphone, while uninterrupted mobile signals on the metro allow commuters to either work or stream entertainment on the go.
"These were once considered futuristic technologies, but in China they're already part of everyday life," Nasir said.
As an engineer, Schrempp is impressed by the speed at which new technologies are deployed in China. The electric vehicle he uses is equipped with automated parking and assisted driving features that keep surprising him.
Even more striking is the deployment of humanoid robots in production and service scenarios. "I can clearly see how these technologies are turning our visions of the future into reality, step by step," Schrempp said.
Wang Ruotong, a teacher at Tianjin Foreign Studies University's School of European Studies, said that from expanding visa-free policies to public service upgrades and convenient life experiences, China offers a stable and predictable environment for foreigners to work and live in.
More foreigners are not just coming to China for short-term travel, but are willing to stay to share in opportunities stemming from China's economic development, Wang said. ■
