During Lee's ten-day stay in China, he zipped through industrial parks, financial centers, and high-tech hubs across the industrial powerhouse, bringing home not just souvenirs but also promising partnerships.

　　Analysts believe that the recent expansion of the tax refund policy will increase spending by inbound travelers, spur growth in China's tourism sector, and draw more visitors eager to explore the country.

　　On the ground, the effects are already visible. At the Grand Pacific, a shopping mall in downtown Beijing, staff reported long queues at tax refund counters. “It's now routine to see waves of foreign tourists lining up. Some leave with a few items, others with entire hauls,“ one employee said.

　　Qin Yi, manager of a porcelain shop in Shanghai, noted that foreign tourists who receive instant tax refunds in cash often make additional purchases on the spot -- a trend that has helped drive up the store's overall sales.

　　Inbound consumption in China is expected to exceed 1.5 trillion yuan (around 205 billion U.S. dollars) over the next five years, said economist Hong Tao at Beijing Technology and Business University. In 2024, inbound travelers spent over 94.2 billion dollars in China, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

　　As U.S. tariffs inflate the cost of Chinese imports, traveling to China makes more economic sense for savvy American shoppers.

　　Thanks to the new transit policy for citizens from 54 countries, including the United States, Americans can now stay in the country for up to 240 hours without a visa. Pair that with the freshly expanded refund-upon-purchase policy, and travelers would get a compelling formula: travel, shop, save -- and repeat.