BEIJING (dpa-AFX) - The Chinese government has decided to allow visa-free travel for citizens from six countries on a trial basis.
Under the unilateral visa-free policy, passport holders from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia can visit the country for a year, its foreign ministry said in a statement.
This will be implemented from December 1.
Until November 30, 2024, passport holders from these countries can travel to China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends and transit for 15 days.
According to the foreign ministry, the new lenient foreign policy will help 'promote China's high-quality development and opening up.'
Currently, China allows citizens of Singapore and Brunei to visit the country for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes for a period of 15 days.
The experimental change in policy comes at a time China's inbound tourism sector has slowed after the pandemic.
The number of foreign tourists visiting China has decreased considerably from pre-pandemic levels that will have negative implications for foreign investment and diplomacy in China's tourism industry, a recent report quoted experts as saying.
Copyright(c) 2023 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX