China announced on Friday it will allow visa-free entry to citizens of five European countries and Malaysia as it tries to encourage more people to travel for business and tourism. From December 1, citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia will be allowed to enter China without a visa for 15 days.
Visa-Free Entry: China announced on Friday that it would allow visa-free entry for citizens of five European countries and Malaysia. Because he is trying to encourage more people to travel for business and tourism. From December 1, citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia will be allowed to enter China without a visa for 15 days. The testing program will remain in effect for one year.
It aims to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world, Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a daily briefing. China’s strict pandemic measures, including required quarantine for all arrivals, discouraged many people from traveling for nearly three years. The restrictions were lifted earlier this year. But, international travel has still not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
China had previously allowed visa-free entry to citizens of Brunei, Japan and Singapore. But it was suspended after the outbreak of Covid-19. It resumed visa-free entry for Brunei and Singapore in July, but has not done so for Japan. According to immigration statistics, in the first six months of the year, China recorded 8.4 million entries and exits by foreigners. That compares with 977 million in all of 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
The government is seeking foreign investment to help boost the slowing economy. Some businessmen are coming for trade fairs and meetings, including Tesla’s Elon Musk and Apple’s Tim Cook. Foreign tourists are still rarer than before the pandemic.
