The government of China has announced the reopening of its borders to foreign tourists, after three years of restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic: the government has said that starting from Wednesday 15 March all types of visas will be issued again. The Foreign Ministry also announced that those issued before March 28, 2020 (the day China closed its borders to almost all foreign travelers as a measure to contain the infections) and still valid can be used again. Finally, it will again be possible to travel again to areas of China for which a visa is not required: among these there are some very popular tourist destinations such as the island of Hainan.
The closure of the borders to foreign tourists was one of the few restrictions still in force in China, where the government has abandoned the so-called “zero-COVID” strategy, the policy of very harsh restrictions which it had adopted and defended for over two years, and which it had provoked large protests especially in some areas.