China lifts sweeping visa curbs on foreigners

[Raubern]

WASHINGTON: China will once again start issuing a range of visas to foreigners as of Wednesday (Mar 15), the country's embassy in Washington said, a major easing of travel restrictions in force since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The move marks the latest step towards reopening China to the outside world, as Beijing gradually breaks with the strict zero-COVID strategy that defined its pandemic response until a few months ago.

In addition to new travel documents being reviewed and approved, visas issued before Mar 28, 2020 that are still valid will once again allow entry to China, said the embassy notice posted on Monday, translated by AFP from Chinese.

The updated policy will also allow for the resumption of visa-free travel for those arriving in cruise ships to Shanghai, as well as for certain tourist groups from Hong Kong, Macao and countries within the ASEAN regional grouping, the notice said.

China received 65.7 million international visitors in 2019, according to data from the UN World Tourism Organization, before the pandemic led the country to seal itself off from the rest of the world.

While most other countries began fully reopening their economies and welcoming international travelers earlier, China only began emerging from its strict COVID-19 containment policies in late 2022, after rare demonstrations against President Xi Jinping's signature zero-COVID strategy broke out across the country.

Those protests in late November expanded into calls for more political freedoms, with some even calling for Xi to resign, turning into the most widespread opposition to communist rule since the 1989 democracy uprising that the military crushed.

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/china-lifts-visa-curbs-foreigners-travel-restrictions-covid-19-3344721

[inlinesix]

Hold your horses.  Nothing on China Embassy in Singapore webby

[Inlinefour]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, inlinesix said:

Hold your horses.  Nothing on China Embassy in Singapore webby

many blue balls wanna chiong over tiongkok liao 

[inlinesix]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:45 AM, Inlinefour said:

many blue balls wanna chiong over tiongkok liao 

Hearsay can only make an appointment 1 month later for visa submission

[Inlinefour]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:50 AM, inlinesix said:

Hearsay can only make an appointment 1 month later for visa submission

alamak my friends taboleh tahan liao 

 

 

[Playtime]

with economy not looking good.

many foreign companies (even local ones)  already pulling out to vietnam, india, bangladesh etc etc

dont think they can continue pretend like they can lock ppl out.

the new PM also try to reassure businessman liao... after so many entrepreneures disappeared in recent time.

[Playtime]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:45 AM, Inlinefour said:

many blue balls wanna chiong over tiongkok liao 

according to certain bike forum.... no need go there, they are coming over to serve customers liao 🤪...

[inlinesix]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:56 AM, Playtime said:

with economy not looking good.

many foreign companies (even local ones)  already pulling out to vietnam, india, bangladesh etc etc

dont think they can continue pretend like they can lock ppl out.

the new PM also try to reassure businessman liao... after so many entrepreneures disappeared in recent time.

Li Qiang has no credentials to assure business community.

 

[Davidklt]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:24 AM, inlinesix said:

Hold your horses.  Nothing on China Embassy in Singapore webby

[Inlinefour]

On 3/14/2023 at 10:58 AM, Playtime said:

according to certain bike forum.... no need go there, they are coming over to serve customers liao 🤪...

too many landmines 

[inlinesix]

On 3/14/2023 at 11:51 AM, Davidklt said:

It is updated

Finally

[Volvobrick]

On 3/14/2023 at 11:51 AM, Davidklt said:

Still not same as before (visa free for Sg). Only tourist groups entering selected cities visa free. 

[Davidklt]

On 3/14/2023 at 12:38 PM, Volvobrick said:

Still not same as before (visa free for Sg). Only tourist groups entering selected cities visa free. 

Its a start.

[Stooky]

Solo trip to china for leisure still need visa?

[Antlau]

The 4th point states entry to GuangDong and Hainan via HK/Macau for foreigners is visa-free. And cruises to Shanghai for foreigners visa-free too.

For entry to Guilin, it needs to be in tour groups for ASEAN visitors.

 

[Tohto]

When red passport going back to visa free?

 

[Enye]

still need prior covid negative test result or not?

😬

[Tohto]

Hainan province is visa free, what so special there?  Basically is 天涯海角 in the older days.

@Picnic06-Biante15 will chiong there soon...

Edited March 14, 2023 by Tohto