BEIJING: China has announced temporary visa waivers for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia in a bid to revive post-pandemic tourism.
China announced yesterday that French nationals will be among a number of countries allowed to enter China without a visa for 15 days under the scheme, which starts on December 1.
According to reports, from December 1, 2023 to November 30, 2024, people from these countries can enter China for business, tourism, visit relatives or travel for up to 15 days without a visa.
It should be noted that earlier only citizens of Singapore, Brunei and Japan were granted visa-free entry for stays of less than 15 days.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna met with Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing yesterday, the brief visit focused on the Israel-Hamas war as well as the exchange of delegations between the two countries.
On China’s visa-free entry initiative, Catherine Colonna said that this news is welcome.
China is gradually restoring international flight routes and easing travel restrictions. The move follows China’s efforts to revive its tourism sector after years of strict COVID-19 measures and improve its global image amid tensions with the West.
The European Chamber of Commerce in China sees the visa exemption as a positive step to boost business confidence, highlighting the importance of facilitating people-to-people exchanges.
Overall, the move is seen as part of China’s broader strategy to revive its tourism industry and boost diplomatic ties in the post-pandemic era. could