China has announced a temporary visa waiver for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia, aimed at rejuvenating tourism in the aftermath of the pandemic.
From December 1 this year to November 30 the following year, nationals from these countries will be allowed to enter China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit purposes for up to 15 days without a visa, as stated by a spokesperson from the foreign ministry last Friday.
In recent months, China has been actively working to revive its tourism industry, which suffered due to stringent COVID-19 restrictions over the past three years.
These efforts include reestablishing international flights. The move is also seen as an attempt to improve China’s global image, which has been strained due to disagreements with several Western nations on issues such as COVID-19, human rights, Taiwan, and trade.
A recent survey by the Pew Research Center across 24 countries indicated predominantly negative perceptions of China, with 67% of adults holding unfavorable views. The survey also found that more than half of the participants believed China was overly interfering in the affairs of other countries without considering their interests.
Germany’s ambassador to China, Patricia Flor, expressed optimism about the new policy on the social media platform X, previously known as Twitter.
She highlighted that this would significantly ease travel for many German citizens to China and expressed hope for similar measures to be extended to all EU member states.
However, she noted that visa-free travel to Germany for Chinese nationals would depend on the consensus of all members of the European Schengen Agreement.
French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna, currently in Beijing, welcomed the announcement on X as a positive development during her visit. This month, China broadened its visa-free transit policy to include Norway, adding to the list of 54 countries.
In further steps to normalize travel, China abolished COVID test requirements for incoming travelers in August and resumed 15-day visa-free entry for Singaporean and Bruneian citizens in July.
While international flight recovery has been slower compared to domestic routes, the number of flights is gradually increasing. The Chinese aviation authority reported an expected schedule of 16,680 weekly flights from November through March, with international passenger flights reaching 71% of pre-pandemic levels.
The European Chamber of Commerce in China also welcomed the move, noting it would bolster business confidence and facilitate more personal exchanges.
