Visa requirements for visitors from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia will be temporarily waived by China in an effort to increase tourism after the COVID-19 pandemic.
From December 1 to November 30 next year, people from such nations entering China for business, tourism, meeting family and friends, or transiting for no more than 15 days would not require a visa. This is an official announcement from a foreign ministry spokesperson on Friday, November 24, Reuters reported.
As of August, China no longer requires arriving travelers to undergo a COVID test to encourage more tourists.
Passengers are seen at the Beijing Daxing International Airport in China's capital city on April 28, 2023, ahead of the Labour Day holiday, which starts on April 29.
Restoring International Reputation
After three years of tight COVID-19 restrictions that essentially locked off its borders with the outside world, China has begun taking moves in recent months to restore its tourist business, including reinstating foreign airlines.
After battling with numerous Western nations over topics including COVID-19, human rights, Taiwan, and trade, the administration is attempting to restore its international reputation.
According to a recent poll conducted by the Pew Research Center in 24 nations, the majority of individuals have a poor impression of China. In the survey, almost half of participants thought China meddled in foreign affairs and ignored the concerns of other nations.
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Fresh Travel Policy
Germany's ambassador to China, Patricia Flor, made a comment on the social media site X (previously Twitter), saying, "This decision will facilitate travel to China for many German citizens to an unprecedented extent ... We hope that the Chinese government will implement the measures announced today for all EU member states."
Meanwhile, if all European Schengen Agreement members agreed, Chinese people might visit Germany without a visa, she added.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, who is in Beijing, tweeted on X: "Excellent news announced during my visit by my counterpart Wang Yi!"
Norway is also one of 54 nations whose residents may travel through China without a visa starting this month.
In August, China stopped requiring entering travelers to take a COVID test. In July, it reinstated a 15-day visa waiver program for visitors from Singapore and Brunei.
While local airline services have been improving more quickly, international flights into and out of the country have also been on the rise.
In October, China's aviation regulator predicted that between November and March next year, the country would have 16,680 flights per week, with 71% of those flights being passenger flights.
The European Chamber of Commerce in China agreed that the change would be beneficial to the economy. "It is a positive that the authorities are taking steps to facilitate people-to-people exchanges," said the report.
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