China will offer 15-day visa-free travel for nationals of Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg and Switzerland from next Thursday.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced the move at a Thursday press conference in Beijing, held on the side lines of China’s annual parliamentary meetings. “We hope more countries will also offer Chinese citizens visa facilitation and work with us to build fast-track networks for cross-border travels and encourage speedy resumption of international passenger flights,” he said, according to RTHK.
Ordinary passport holders from the six European states will be able to enter China, visa-free, for the purposes of business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, and transit, until November 30.
Last November, China began a year-long trial of visa-free travel for French, German, Italian, Spanish, Malaysian and Dutch travellers.
China’s economy continues to suffer after years of zero-Covid policies, amid a failing property market and weak consumption.
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