China to Allow Visa-Free Travel to Citizens From 6 Countries

Facts

• China's Foreign Ministry announced on Friday that citizens of France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, and Spain will be exempt from visas for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, or transiting for up to 15 days from Dec. 1 until Nov. 30 next year.¹
• Though no reciprocal policies between the PRC and the six countries have been immediately disclosed, Malaysia will reportedly offer Chinese nationals up to 30 days of visa-free travel. Beijing currently allows unilateral visa-free entry to passport holders of Singapore and Brunei.²
• This comes a week after China added Norway to its 72/144-hour visa-free transit on arrival in 23 Chinese cities, expanding the list of qualified countries to 54 — including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. Malaysian citizens aren't eligible for this policy.³
• The softening of travel restrictions in China, which resumed issuing all types of visas in March, follows the lifting of the world's strictest COVID curbs last December. For three years, China had imposed travel restrictions, several lockdowns, and frequent testing requirements.⁴
• According to official immigration figures, the PRC saw 8.4M entries and exits by foreigners in the first six months of this year. Foreign tourists were far more common in the country before the pandemic, with 977M entries and exits registered throughout all of 2019.⁵
• In October, China's aviation authority projected 16,680 weekly international flights between November and March, expecting passenger flights to reach 71% of the total from four years ago. All COVID test requirements for inbound travelers were scrapped in August.⁶

Sources: ¹Xinhua, ²Bloomberg, ³China Briefing News, ⁴BBC News, ⁵Washington Post and ⁶Reuters.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. China's latest tourism policy signifies its post-pandemic economic growth and resilience. By targeting these six countries, this initiative is poised to boost inbound tourism and attract foreign investment, revitalizing an industry still rebounding from COVID. This policy, along with ongoing visa improvements and previous expanded visa-free transit options, demonstrates Beijing's commitment to enhancing global trade relations and underscores the continued expansion of its economy.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Business Insider. Announcing visa-free travel won't hide the economic woes Beijing is facing right now. The PRC's expected post-COVID economic rebound is not happening, and Beijing should be worried. Due to declining exports and imports, shrinking property values, and the remaining demographic effects of the one-child policy, China is looking at a depressing economy over the next decade.

Predictions