BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Overseas tourists who
come to China during the Olympics next month will reportedly be able to exchange
no more than the equivalent of 50,000 U.S. dollars at Chinese banks.
Thursday's edition of the Shanghai Securities News
quoted the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) as saying that the
limit will remain in effect until a month after the conclusion of the Special
Olympic Games for the disabled (Paralympics) in September.
The limit is the same as that applied to Chinese
citizens for a full year.
SAFE said relevant banks in Beijing and other host
cities -- Shanghai, Tianjin, Shenyang, Qingdao and Qinhuangdao -- have been
informed of the regulation so they can provide foreign exchange services for
overseas individuals from July 8 to Oct. 17.
Foreign tourists can change Renminbi into foreign
currencies by showing identification at the designated banks, if the amount is
no more than the equivalent of 50,000 U.S. dollars. For amounts above that, they
will need to provide documentation, such as tax receipts or an original exchange
memo, SAFE reportedly said.
These steps were being taken to strengthen monitoring
of foreign exchange activities. It added: "Banks and overseas tourists should
not avoid the quota management by splitting the exchange amount or using fake
documents and receipts."