ASIATODAY.ID, JAKARTA – China continues to make visits easier for travelers from Europe by expanding its visa-free policy to six additional countries.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, in a press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress meeting in Beijing, said this new policy would come into effect from March 14 2024.
The six countries that will benefit from this policy are Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg. This move is a continuation of the previous announcement regarding visa exemptions for Swiss and Irish passport holders, which was made during Chinese Prime Minister Li Qiang’s diplomatic visit to the two countries.
On the other hand, Wang expressed hope that more countries can provide easy visas for Chinese citizens, which will contribute to the rapid construction of cross-border networks and accelerate the recovery of international flights.
“We hope more countries will offer visa-free facilities to Chinese citizens and work with us to build a fast-track network for cross-border travel and promote the speedy resumption of international passenger flights,” Wang said.
Wang also added that this will make it more convenient for citizens to travel abroad and make foreign friends to feel at home in China.
China’s strategy also includes reciprocal agreements with Thailand and Singapore to remove tourist visa requirements and a pilot program allowing 15-day visa-free entry for visitors from certain countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia.
Although tourists from the United States (US) still need a visa to enter China, the application process has been simplified.
In 2023, the country’s border authorities recorded 35.5 million foreign nationalities entering and leaving the country. This is a significant increase from the previous year, but still a fraction of pre-pandemic figures.
This latest visa policy expansion is a step towards restoring China’s global connectivity and strengthening its economic recovery. (CNN)
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