An officer verifies a traveler's credentials at the Gaoqi frontier inspection station. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Gaoqi frontier inspection station has launched China's first interactive smart customs clearance system for seaports, significantly increasing processing speeds for the Xiamen-Jinmen ferry route.

The system utilizes artificial intelligence to integrate ticketing, inspection, and boarding processes by automating biometric data verification and synchronizing ship manifests, thereby improving passenger inspection efficiency by over 40 percent and enabling seamless processing for multiple vessels during peak periods.

The Xiamen-Jinmen ferry route remains the primary maritime corridor between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan, recording over 1.7 million passenger trips in 2025. To manage high traffic volumes, the new system enables real-time data sharing between frontier inspection stations, port authorities, and ship operators, allowing travelers to pass through various checkpoints without repeatedly scanning documents or tickets. Since beginning trial operations in November 2025, the system has handled over 2,600 vessel trips and 600,000 passengers.

This technological upgrade is part of a broader effort by the Gaoqi frontier inspection station to digitize border services. Other recent innovations include the deployment of portable biometric registration devices and the implementation of facial recognition technology for Taiwan residents, which has served 160,000 users since late 2025.