China's exit-entry numbers rose 30.78 percent from last year in the first half of 2004, hitting a record of 129 million, the Border Exit-Entry Administration of the Public Security Ministry said Thursday.

    More than 7.47 million people from 225 countries and regions entered China during the first six months of 2004. Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) represent the largest flow to the Chinese mainland with 19 percent and 16.7 percent respectively.

    Countries that also had a high percentage of entry applicants were Russia, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines, Mongolia, Thailand and Britain.

    About 40.7 percent of the entries were for sight-seeing and recreation; 16.69 percent were on business trips, statistics said.

    The number of exits from the Chinese mainland rose 62.65 percent to 13.33 million. More than 73 percent went to Hong Kong or Macao. Japan was the leading overseas destination, followed by Russia, Thailand, ROK, Vietnam, the United States and Singapore.

    Recreational travels and business trips accounted for respectively 20.69 percent and 19.30 percent of the exit flow, theAdministration said.

    In the half year, China's border checkpoints recovered from last year's SARS outbreak and reported even more people come and go than in the first half of 2002. The statistics shows that the number was 107.88 million two years ago.

    Local customs offices caught approximately 35,200 violators ofChina's exit-entry laws and regulations, including 2,988 illegal exit-and-entry cases so far this year. Enditem