China to fully reopen borders to foreigners but near-term hurdles remain:
China to fully reopen borders to foreigners but near-term hurdles remain:
China’s foreign ministry has announced that it will resume issuing all categories of visas to foreign tourists, marking the first time in three years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Authorities declared victory over the recent surge in the virus, leading to the removal of cross-border control measures.
Experts expect that this move will help rekindle a $17 trillion economy.
The regions that did not require visas before the pandemic will once again allow visa-free entry, including the popular tourist destination of Hainan and cruise ships docking at the Shanghai port.
Foreign visitors from Hong Kong and Macau will also receive visa-free entry into the southern manufacturing hub of Guangdong.
The Asian country has added 40 more countries to its list of countries that are allowed for group tours, bringing the total to 60.
However, they still exclude Japan, South Korea, Australia, and the United States from the list.
The foreign ministry has also announced that they will allow foreigners with valid visas issued before March 28, 2020, to enter China.
In 2022, the number of cross-border trips made in and out of China was only 115.7 million, with foreigners accounting for approximately 4.5 million.
This represents a significant decrease from 2019 when China recorded a total of 670 million trips, with foreigners accounting for 97.7 million before the outbreak of COVID-19.
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