Reference News Network, June 14 - According to a report by Deutsche Welle on June 12, starting from December 1, 2023, China will implement a unilateral visa-free policy for citizens of Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia. Holders of regular passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit.

A recent research report released by the consultancy "China Research Center" indicates that this visa-free policy has already begun to show positive effects on tourism. The European research institute's analysis points out that the number of people entering and leaving China has significantly recovered in the first quarter of this year.

From January to March 2024, nearly 13.1 million foreign nationals entered and exited China. This number is more than triple compared to the first quarter of 2023, when China had just adjusted its pandemic prevention policies and resumed normal entry and exit management measures. Compared to the first quarter of 2019, before the pandemic, the number of foreign entries and exits in the first quarter of this year has significantly recovered.

In November 2023, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning announced the visa-free policy for certain countries, stating that the measure was to "further promote the exchange of people between China and foreign countries, and to serve high-quality development and high-level opening-up." The first batch of European countries to enjoy visa-free treatment included Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain – the top five economies in the EU. In March of this year, China extended the visa-free policy to six more European countries, including Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

This visa-free benefit has no limit on the number of entries. This means that after staying in China for 15 days, if one briefly exits and re-enters, they can stay for another 15 days without a visa.

In May of this year, China announced that the short-term visa-free policy for citizens of France and other 12 countries would be extended until the end of 2025.

In addition to implementing visa-free entry, China has introduced several measures to help foreigners use mobile payments within the country. Since mobile payments are very popular in China and cash is often not accepted, mobile payments have been a significant challenge for foreign tourists. Now, WeChat Pay can be linked to foreign credit cards.

The "China Research Center" analysis indicates that the visa-free policy has played a positive role in the recovery of tourism. The analysis points out that in the first quarter of 2024, 23% of the foreigners entering through Shanghai's port came from countries enjoying visa-free treatment. Previously, China introduced a 144-hour visa-free transit policy for citizens of dozens of countries, allowing transit passengers to stay in several regions, including Shanghai, for up to seven days. Including transit passengers, more than 78% of foreigners entered Shanghai without a visa.

However, the report also noted that whether the visa-free policy's positive impact on tourism will continue in the second quarter remains to be seen. With the summer approaching, a continued increase in the number of foreigners entering and leaving in the second quarter will be of milestone significance.