China Expands Visa-Free Policy to Nine Countries, Including South Korea
Beijing, November 1, 2024 – China has announced asignificant expansion of its visa-free policy, extending the benefit to citizens of nine additional countries, including South Korea, effective November 8, 2024.
The announcement was made by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a regular press briefing. Lin stated that the move aims to further facilitate people-to-peopleexchanges between China and the international community.
The nine countries now eligible for visa-free entry to China for a maximum of 15 days include: Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and SouthKorea. This policy applies to holders of ordinary passports traveling for business, tourism, family visits, or transit purposes.
This expansion builds upon China’s existing visa-free policy, which currently covers 20 countries. The new policyis set to expire on December 31, 2025.
The decision to grant visa-free access to Slovakia was initially announced during a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger. This move signifies a strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries, with both sides agreeing to establish astrategic partnership.
The expansion of China’s visa-free policy is expected to significantly boost tourism and business exchanges between China and the nine newly included countries. It is also seen as a positive step towards promoting greater international cooperation and understanding.
Sources:
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China
- Xinhua News Agency
- The Observer
- People’s Daily
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