Rail companies need to improve the service they offer to foreign travelers, an expert has said ahead of this year's Spring Festival rush.
Support services for foreigners, including ticket sales and ID checks, need to be upgraded to match China's rising status on the world stage, said Yang Hao,
a professor in rail transportation management at Beijing Jiaotong University.
The difficulties involved in purchasing and picking up tickets lie in an unfriendly booking system Men's ECCO Irving Fisherman Sandals BLACK UK Outlet , proving that railways are not run commercially as if in an open market, said Yang.
"The demand by foreign travelers for train tickets has grown along with the strengthening of China's economy in the world," he said, "but the railway
authority has not paid sufficient attention to catering to this small group,
because more than 1.8 billion passengers use the rail service each year."
China Railway Corp adopted stricter measures to verify foreign passengers' identities on March 1 last year. Foreigners must have their identities checked
at ticket counters in railway stations by presenting a valid ID, such as a
passport, before purchasing or collecting their tickets.
"I prefer to take high-speed trains because they are punctual Men's ECCO Intrinsic Black Sandals UK Outlet , but I will not try to book train tickets because I know it's too hard to get one," said Luke Coates, a
25-year-old Australian who has lived in Beijing for four years.
Coates estimated it would cost him half a day to get a ticket, considering the long lines at booking offices and his journey to and from the rail station.
The thought of doing it made him "quite exhausted", he said.
For the same reasons, Jay Wang flies when he visits Nantong, Jiangsu province Men's ECCO Yucatan TARMAC Sandals UK Outlet , to visit his Chinese relatives during Spring Festival to save the time he would spend in railway
stations.
Travel agencies that book train tickets for foreigners have also noticed a trend away from rail travel. "It always takes some time for foreign clients to
pick up tickets at counters since no automatic machine allows them to get
tickets or get their passports checked," said Yan Xin, a senior manager at the
public affairs department of Ctrip, an online travel agency.
Professor Yang said support services such as instructions inside railway stations also need to improve. But he believes it will be a long time before
foreigners can expect high-quality rail service.
However, consider the situation of foreigners with a hyphen in their names. The 12306 website, the official online rail ticket booking platform, does not
allow a space or hyphen in travelers' names. A Canadian traveler Men's ECCO Yucatan Sandals BLACK MOLE BLACK UK Outlet , Louis-Pierre P. Lepage, was refused a ticket because the name printed on his ticket did not have
a hyphen, and his passport did, Chinese media reported.
" A man counts cash at an outlet of Huaxia Bank in Shenyang, Northeast China's Liaoning Province. Photo: CFP
Guangzhou-based Evergrande Real Estate Group has paid 3.3 billion ($545.9 million) for a 4.522 percent stake in Huaxia Bank, and experts said Sunday it
will help with financing and further diversification.
The purchase was completed between November 13, 2013 and January 24 Men's ECCO Yucatan Sandals BISON Black UK Outlet , 2014, according to a statement the company filed with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on Friday.
The statement said the deal would build a win-win relationship between the two companies.
The strong financial performance of Huaxia Bank is another reason for the investment, according to the company's statement.
The acquisition made Evergrande the fifth largest shareholder in Huaxia Bank, the Beijing News reported on Sunday.
Evergrande is not the first property developer to invest in the banking industry, Chen Guoqiang, deputy director of the China Real Estate Society, told
the Global Times Sunday.
China Vanke Co Men's ECCO Yucatan Sandals TARMAC MOON ROCK UK Outlet , China's largest real estate company in terms of revenue, invested $419 million in Huishang Bank
in October 2013, becoming the biggest shareholder in the Hong Kong-listed bank.
Becoming a stakeholder in a bank can offer convenience and even preferential conditions for financing, which is crucial for real estate companies, Chen said.
Hui Jianqiang, research director with real estate information provider Beijing Zhongfangyanxie Technology Service, agreed with Chen Men's ECCO Yucatan Sandals ESPRESSO COCOA BROWN BLACK UK Outlet , noting that property developers rely on land provided by the government and the ability
to raise capital from different sources including bank loans.
Property developers have been facing greater difficulty with financing recently, Hui said, noting that it is not as easy as it used to be for real
estate companies to get loans from banks.
Evergrande has not -revealed why it became a shareholder in Huaxia Bank, but Chen speculated that it might develop financial services for the residential
communities it builds, similar to what Vanke did after investing in Huishang
Bank.
By investing in Huishang, Vanke planned to provide financial services for its communities, news portal sina reported Saturday Men's ECCO Chander Classic Fisherman Sandals BLACK UK Outlet , noting that the services included setting up banks in communities and selling asset
management products.
Partners of property developers such as suppliers also need financial services, so cooperation with banks could bring these clients to the banks,
according to Chen.
Investment in Huaxia Bank is the latest step in Evergrande's diversification strategy. It is already the owner of Guangzhou Evergrande Football Club, and has
set up animation companies and launched its own bottled water brand, Evergrande
Spring.
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