To Promote Active Human Exchange Between the United States and South Korea
China will ease visa requirements for American tourists starting January 1 next year.
According to the Associated Press (AP) on the 30th (local time), the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. announced online on the 29th that from January 1 next year, American tourists will no longer need to present round-trip airline tickets, hotel reservation confirmations, travel itineraries, or invitation letters to obtain a Chinese visa.
The Chinese Embassy explained that the simplification of the visa application process is "to further promote people-to-people exchanges between China and the United States."
AP noted that this measure comes amid a slow increase in foreign tourists despite China ending its three-year zero-COVID policy earlier this year and reopening its borders.
It added that in the first half of this year, the number of foreign entries and exits in China was 8.4 million, a significant decrease from the 977 million recorded throughout 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier, starting from the 1st of this month, China began a one-year pilot program granting visa exemptions for up to 15 days to six countries: France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia.
China has also agreed to allow mutual visa-free entry with Singapore for 30 days, to be implemented early next year, showing efforts to attract foreign tourists.
AP pointed out that while China is trying to attract American tourists, there are other obstacles.
It explained that the number of international passenger flights between the U.S. and China has decreased significantly compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, and amid rising tensions between the two countries, the U.S. government warned its citizens last summer about risks of wrongful detention and travel bans, advising them to reconsider traveling to China.
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