BEIJING, Nov 24 – In order to further facilitate personnel exchanges with other countries, China has decided to expand its visa-free arrangement to include more countries.

From November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025, visa exemption will be applied to ordinary passport holders from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia and Japan on a trial basis, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Friday. 

In addition, Lin said China has decided to further optimize its visa-free policy, including exchange and visit purposes in the visa-free entry scope, and extend the period of visa-free stays allowed from the current 15 days to 30 days.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba welcomed the Chinese move. “For Japan-China relations, it is most important for the people of the two countries to interact,” he told reporters. 

“It is our hope that these measures will further enhance exchanges between our two nations,” Ishiba said.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi echoed this sentiment at a press conference, expressing his hope that these measures will further deepen exchanges between Japan and China.

Following the normalization of economic activities after the pandemic, the number of business trips from Japan to China has increased. Both the Japanese government and the business community have expressed their hope for China to reinstate its visa-free policy.

The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China welcomed the restart of the visa exemption, saying in a statement it “strongly expects this decision will activate personnel exchanges that are essential” for strengthening economic ties, according to Kyodo News.

Policy enhances tourism services

Half an hour after China’s new visa-free policy announcement, searches for destinations in China on online travel agency Ctrip.com’s overseas platforms surged, with a 112-percent increase on the Japanese site, according to media reports.

There was a sharp rise in interest in direct flights from various Japanese cities to Chinese destinations, the report added.