The Ministry of Public Security has released new measures for all ports of entry and exit, marking easy steps on improving immigration services and facilitating smoother passenger flow.

The China Daily describes this as the country's determination to offer first-grade services to participants and tourists here for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. These improvements, which have not yet taken effect, bear a clear mark of international practice, showing that China is learning from good practices around the world.

Unified procedures and facilities at international airports are certainly good news to foreigners who want a hassle-free trip to China. To travelers at home who are making more overseas tours in the recent years, these applications will familiarize them with international practices and make their travel more convenient.

About 16 million Chinese traveled overseas in the first five months of the year, a year-on-year increase of 14 percent. The figure is expected to reach an unprecedented 37.4 million this year. The majority of the overseas-bound Chinese travelers were on trips that were not business-related.