China offers visa-free entry for citizens of six countries to spur post-pandemic tourism

China has announced to temporarily exempt citizens from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia from needing visas when visiting the country. The move is believed to have taken to spur post-pandemic tourism. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday that citizens from those countries entering China for business, tourism, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends, or transiting for no more than 15 days will not need a visa from Dec. 1 this year to Nov. 30, 2024. In recent months, China has undertaken various measures, including the restoration of international flight routes, to revitalize its tourism sector after three years of stringent COVID-19 measures that significantly restricted its borders. Beijing is also actively working to rebuild its global image, especially in the wake of tensions with several Western nations, including some European countries. These tensions have arisen from issues ranging from COVID-19 and human rights to matters concerning Taiwan and trade practices. According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center across 24 countries, views of China were largely unfavourable, with 67% of adults expressing negative sentiments. More than half of the respondents indicated that China interfered in the affairs of other nations and did not adequately consider the interests of others. Earlier this month, China expanded its visa-free transit policy to 54 countries to include citizens from Norway. In August, Beijing scrapped all COVID-19 test requirement for inbound travellers. It also resumed 15-day visa-free entry for citizens of Singapore and Brunei in July. International flights in and out the country, while recovering slower than domestic ones, have been picking up pace. China’s aviation regulation said in October that there will be 16,680 weekly flights in the five months following, with passenger flights expected to reach 71% of the total four years ago. With inputs from Reuters.