FIGURES FROM THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA show that about 250,000 Chinese tourists visited the ROK during the just-concluded National Day holiday and some commercial centers and duty-free shops in Seoul witnessed 20-40 percent increases in their sales year-on-year, Global Times Chinese edition commented on Sunday:

It comes as no surprise at all that many Chinese people traveled to the ROK to shop during the week-long holiday. But such a shopping spree has sparked grievances among some Chinese at home, with some complaining Chinese tourists are helping to save the teetering ROK economy. Such complaints became fiercer after the media reported that some Chinese tourists were declined access to Jeju Island and even kept inside a "black room" at the airport.

At a time when China's relations with the ROK are strained following Seoul's planned deployment of the United States' Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, which will pose a threat to China's vital interests, it is understandable for some Chinese to hope their country is not too closely tied to the ROK economically.