China New Entry Policy: Country extends visa-free policy for 9 countries starting Friday
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From Friday, citizens of nine more countries can enter China without a visa. Citizens from Slovakia, Norway, Finland and six other countries can enjoy a visa-free stay in China for 15 days. CGTN reporter You Yang has more. 

China is expanding its circle of friends as the country implements its visa-free policy for citizens holding ordinary passports from eight European countries and South Korea from November 8 to December 31 next year on a trial basis. 

"I'm from Germany. We have business here and we are meeting our customers. (The visa-free policy) makes it much easier to enter China, and we are happy about that." 

"Yeah, we came to China thanks to the visa-free policy, so no need for a visa to come here."

"It's actually very easy to book, lots of options. We are coming here for a 10-day tour. We are very excited, we wish our family can come next year for the same tour."

YOU YANG Beijing Capital International Airport "Starting on Friday, China's unilateral visa free policy comes into effect for individuals holding ordinary passports from 29 countries, including France, Germany, Italy and Finland. Immigration authorities said the policy has attracted more international visitors and facilitated travel."

ZHAO KUN Instructor, Duty Team Three, Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection "As of October 31, Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection has handled border inspection procedures for more than 15.3 million people, including more than 2.02 million inbound foreigners, up 142% year on year – showing an overall upward trend."

Meanwhile, data shows a near-doubling of foreign visitors via the visa-free policy in the first three quarters of 2024, as compared to the same period last year. 

Expansion of the visa-free circle continues. This Thursday, China has also signed an agreement with the Solomon Islands on mutual exemption of visa for citizens holding ordinary passports. 

ZHAO KUN Instructor, Duty Team Three, Beijing General Station of Immigration Inspection "In order to improve efficiency at the border inspection, we have added inspection channels and waiting areas. When there is high passenger flow, we implement a 'double row inspection' mode to improve inspection efficiency; and, we also set up a multilingual service team to provide on-site Q&A, consultation, and guidance services for foreign passengers – to improve their entry experience." 

Since early 2023, China has restored transit visas and made it more convenient for foreign visitors to come to the country. 

Data shows that the move has not just boosted tourism, but also driven economic growth. 

China's National Immigration Administration said in 2023 alone, foreign visitors spent an average of 487 US dollars per day when they staying in China, contributing over 100 billion yuan, or nearly 14 billion US dollars, to local businesses. 

You Yang, CGTN, Beijing. 

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