A flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, landed at the Xiamen Gaoqi International Airport in Xiamen City of east China's Fujian Province early Thursday morning.

This marks the first direct flight from Malaysia to China on the day the visa exemption agreement between the two countries officially took effect.

Under the policy, Chinese and Malaysian citizens holding valid ordinary passports can enter, exit or transit through the other country for travel without a visa. Each stay should not exceed 30 days, with a cumulative limit of 90 days within any 180-day period.

"It's quite convenient for us not to have to apply for a visa. We can directly purchase air tickets and come here, which really saves a lot of time. Many people I know are also visiting China because it's so convenient," a Malaysian traveler said in an interview with China Central Television at the Gaoqi Airport.

According to the Gaoqi border inspection station, during the trial period of the visa-free policy, which runs from Dec 1, 2023 to July 16, 2025, over 178,000 Chinese citizens traveled to Malaysia via ports in Xiamen for tourism and business purposes.

This is a nearly 97-percent increase in daily average travelers compared with that before the policy was implemented.

Fujian is a well-known ancestral home of overseas Chinese. From Jan 1 to July 16 this year, the Gaoqi border inspection station processed over 234,000 exits and entries made by Chinese and Malaysian travelers, marking nearly a 30-percent increase year on year.

Cross-border travel is becoming increasingly convenient, with the number of Malaysian travelers ranking first among foreign inbound visitors at Xiamen's ports.

"By strengthening information sharing with airlines and port authorities, closely monitoring passenger flow, and optimizing inspection methods in real time, we have further enhanced customs clearance efficiency and provided more convenient services for travelers between China and Malaysia," said Shen Wenjuan, an official with the Gaoqi border inspection station.

Currently, there are 68 flights each week between Kuala Lumpur and Xiamen. Xiamen Airlines operates four round trips daily, while Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air each offer three round trips per week.