Visa-Free Policy Draws Visitors to China

A report from chinadaily.com.cn on July 10th, 2024:

With ongoing adjustments of visa policies, the number of inbound passengers has increased sharply.

China’s optimized visa-free policy, together with several other measures aimed at enhancing international exchanges, has substantially increased the number of foreign travelers arriving in China.

In the first half of the year, the number of foreign visitors entering the Chinese capital reached 1.02 million, a year-on-year increase of 257 percent, according to data from the Beijing General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection.

By last month, China had reached agreements or made arrangements to simplify visa procedures with over 40 countries and achieved comprehensive mutual visa exemption with more than 20.

Travelers with ordinary passports from New Zealand, Australia and Poland are among the latest beneficiaries of China’s optimized visa-free policy.

In an arrangement that took effect on Monday and will continue till the end of next year, people from the three countries can enjoy visa-free stays of up to 15 days in China for business, tourism, family visits or transit purposes.

Previously, China had extended visa exemptions to 12 countries in two rounds — first to ordinary passport holders in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia in December, and then to those in Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg in March.