Foreign visitors who hold Special Economic Zone visas must leave the country through SEZ cities rather than other Chinese exits to avoid penalties, say Shanghai's immigration police.

Pudong International Airport immigration police said that in the past month they had stopped a dozen foreign tourists in the middle of their boarding checks after spotting them carrying passports with SEZ visas, while trying to board overseas flights.

They were fined before being allowed to board their flights, and most of them were not acquainted with the visa rule.

Immigration police said that if foreign visitors enter the country with Special Economic Zone visas, then they must return to any of the open ports inside the zones to leave China.

Shanghai's Pudong airport is not a legal port to leave the country by SEZ visa holders, police said.

China's Special Economic Zones are Shenzhen, Shantou, Zhuhai and Xiamen cities as well as Hainan Province.

(Shanghai Daily September 24, 2007)