In a move to strengthen international ties and facilitate greater personnel exchanges, the Chinese mainland has announced an expansion of its visa-free policy to include more countries. Starting from November 30, 2024, to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan will be granted visa-free entry on a trial basis, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.
Lin also stated that China has decided to further optimize its visa-free policy by extending the period of visa-free stays from the current 15 days to 30 days and including exchange and visit purposes within the visa-free entry scope.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba welcomed the initiative, highlighting its significance for bilateral relations. “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 added.
Echoing this sentiment, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi expressed his hope at a press conference that the new policy would deepen exchanges between Japan and China.
Following the normalization of economic activities after the pandemic, there has been an increase in business trips from Japan to China. Both the Japanese government and the business community have expressed their hope for China to reinstate its visa-free policy to boost economic ties.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China welcomed the resumption of visa exemption, stating it “strongly expects this decision will activate personnel exchanges that are essential” for strengthening economic relations, according to Kyodo News.
Reference(s):
China's new visa-free policy draws positive reaction from Japan
cgtn.com
