China's foreign visa waiver policy boosts economy
The Chinese government has been expanding its visa-free policies in recent times, facilitating economic cooperation, boosting tourism, and enhancing cultural exchanges. At its core, this new visa policy underscores China's ongoing commitment to further opening its doors to the world.
On September 27th, 2023, the State Council issued the "Measures for Releasing the Potential of Tourism Consumption and Promoting High-quality Development of Tourism," which outlined robust measures involving visa and customs policies, the resumption and increase of international flights, and the improvement of inbound tourism services.
In another exciting development, effective December 1st, 2023, China implemented a unilateral visa-free entry policy for travelers from France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. This policy aims to further facilitate movement of people between China and these six countries, supporting high-quality development and greater openness.
According to data released by the National Immigration Administration, since the implementation of this visa-free policy, a total of 214,000 visitors from these six countries have entered China as of December 31st, 2023. This represents a 28.5% increase compared to November, with 118,000 of these travelers entering under the visa-free program, accounting for 55.1% of total arrivals from these countries. Clearly, the visa-free policy has significantly boosted inbound tourism.
It is also worth noting that China and Thailand will begin mutual visa exemptions for citizens starting in March of this year. Additionally, 2024 is designated as the "China-ASEAN People-to-People Exchange Year," and it is anticipated that other ASEAN member states will join the list of countries benefiting from visa exemptions beyond Malaysia and Thailand.
As of January 15th, 2024, our company has hosted over three European clients who have traveled to China to view and purchase home and daily products such as kitchen storage rack(Hanging Storage Baskets Under Cabinet With Paper Holder) and bathroom rack(3 Tier Bathroom Shower Caddy With Soap Rack). This policy has provided convenient travel assistance to clients with sourcing needs in China. We hope that in 2024, more countries will be added to this visa-free list, allowing more friends to visit China for travel, business trips, and to build bridges of friendship. Welcome to China!