China Says Departure Tax Refund Stores Top 15,000, Foreign Tourists Claiming Refunds Up About 4 Times

On July 23, Yang Mu, head of the Department of Market Operations and Consumption Promotion at China's Ministry of Commerce, said at a State Council Information Office briefing that the departure tax refund 2.0 policy has boosted inbound spending. He said the number of departure tax refund stores has exceeded 15,000, and the number of foreign visitors who handled tax refunds in the first half rose by about four times year on year, according to 36Kr.