超過１億中国人到海外旅行…「総合国力上昇」

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

中国人の海外旅行１億人超…「総合国力の上昇」

2014年12月06日 08時27分

　【北京＝竹腰雅彦】中国国家観光局によると、今年１～１１月の中国本土から海外（香港、マカオ、台湾も含む）への旅行者数が初めて、延べ１億人を超えた。

　統計のある１９９８年の延べ８４３万人から、１０倍以上増加した。経済発展に伴う富裕層や中間層の拡大が背景にあるとみられる。

　旅行先はアジアが約９割を占め、うち香港、マカオ、台湾が７割。これらを除き、旅行者数が延べ１００万人を超えたのは韓国、タイ、日本、米国、ベトナム、シンガポールの６か国。韓国と日本への旅行客の増加が最も大きく、前年比で約４割増加した。国家観光局によると、日本への昨年の旅行者数は延べ約１８３万人で、今年は同２５０万人前後に達するとみられる。

　中国外務省の華春瑩(フアチュンイン)副報道局長は５日の定例記者会見で、海外旅行客の１億人突破について、「改革・開放を深化させ続けた必然の結果であり、中国の総合国力の上昇を示すものだ」と評価した。

(試譯文)

    According to the China National Tourism Administration the number of travelers from China mainland visiting foreign countries (Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan included) was expanding; for the first time it exceeded 100 million people in January - November this year (2014).

    It was an increase of more than 10 times from a total of 8,430,000 in 1998 since the statistics was started. It could be imagined that, accompanying with financial development as the background, there was an expansion in the wealthy class and the middle class.

    Asia accounted for about 90 percent of the destinations, among them Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan had 70 percent. Apart from these, the number of travelers had expanded and exceeded one million people to six countries of Korea, Thailand, Japan, USA, Vietnam and Singapore. The biggest tourist increase was to Korea and Japan at about 40 percent by year-on-year comparison. According to the state Tourist Bureau the number of travelers to Japan was thought to have expanded to about 1,830,000 people last year, and could reach about 2,500,000 people this year (2014).

    On the 5^th (December), about the overseas tourists broke through 100 million people, Fu Chunying the deputy chief reporter of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a regular press conference commented that "it is a necessary result of the continuing deepening in reform and opening-up, and it indicates a rise in the overall Chinese national power".

Obviously, some Chinese have more money to spend then others in these days.