China, in order to stimulate tourism and strengthen the image of the country, provided a visa -free entry of up to 30 days to citizens of 74 states. This was reported by the National Immigration Administration of the PRC, reports The Washington Post.
Initially, the visa -free regime was introduced in December 2023 for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia. Subsequently, the list was expanded and now covers almost all European countries, as well as a number of Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
It is expected that from July 16, Azerbaijan will be included in the program.
According to the Chinese authorities, in 2024 the number of foreign tourists who took advantage of the visa -free regime will exceed 20 million people -this is almost twice as much as in 2023.
For citizens of the USA, Canada, Great Britain, Sweden, Russia and a number of other countries, there is the possibility of visa -free transit for up to 10 days, provided that they follow the third country through the territory of China.
According to Liu Sayanyan, analysts of the Chinese Academy of Tourism, the policy of visa -free entry serves not only economic goals, but also contributes to the formation of a positive international image of the PRC.