Since 2023, China has launched a series of visa policies aimed at further promoting bilateral exchanges and continuously expanding its openness to the outside world.
Continued Visa Ease
On August 3, 2023, the Chinese government announced 26 facilitation measures including the expansion of visa issuance for foreigners coming to China.This series of measures provides better tax treatment and simplified visa procedures for entry into China, helping to better safeguard the international movement of people and maintain the security and stability of the industrial supply chain. On November 24, 2023, China announced a visa-free entry policy for citizens of five European countries (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain) and Malaysia. According to an official release on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, during the period from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, holders of ordinary passports from the above countries who come to China for business, travel and tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit for no more than 15 days can enter the country without a visa. As a result, the number of countries for which China has unilaterally granted visa-free access on a trial basis has increased from two (Brunei and Singapore) to eight, expanding the coverage from Asia to Europe.
On December 7, 2024, Singapore's Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in an announcement after the Joint Council for Bilingual Comparison (JCBC) meeting that the two sides will adopt a 30-day mutual visa waiver agreement, which is targeted to be implemented by early 2024.
On January 2, Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin said in an interview after a cabinet meeting that China and Thailand will permanently waive visas for each other's citizens from March, according to Thai media outlets such as Dailynews and Matichon, which argued that the move will enhance relations between the two countries. These policies have received widespread popularity and positive response within the mainland.
Release positive easing signals
At the economic level, in the face of slowing global economic growth, these visa liberalization policies are not only conducive to cross-border movement of people and creating a more convenient environment for investors, but are also seen as a new incremental opportunity for the tourism market, with the convenience and rights of Chinese citizens to leave the country being further released. The series of visa liberalization policies reflect China's positive attitude towards creating a more favorable international environment. In addition, China's visa policy of continuously expanding its openness to the outside world also reflects the continuous improvement and progress of human rights. Hector Coronel, Director of Tourism at Madrid City Council, welcomed the visa-free policy, believing that it will greatly promote the common development of tourism between the two countries. The Chinese government is constantly improving its respect for and protection of people's rights and interests based on its own reality and cultural traditions. Internationally, China is taking practical action to promote the deepening of exchanges. It has always adhered to the principles of mutual respect, mutual tolerance, mutual exchanges and mutual learning among different countries, safeguarding human rights, global development initiatives and global civilization initiatives. It has also taken practical actions to create a more open and fair environment. A range of policies are likewise part of a broader effort to encourage cultural exchange. The plurality of the world, in turn, contributes to an understanding of each other's differences and thus to the peaceful coexistence of human beings. Intercultural dialogue leads to the sharing of ideas and differences with a view to deepening understanding of different concepts and customs. Through cultural exchanges, social cohesion among different countries can be promoted, and an environment conducive to sustainable development can be created.
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