In a bid to promote tourism and business, China has introduced a visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens, as of December 1 this year, until November 30, 2024.
Due to this policy, Malaysian nationals can enter and visit China visa-free for up to 15 days for purposes such as business, tourism, family visits, and transit, VisaGuide.World reports.
The National Immigration Administration of China has revealed that on December 1, the day when China implemented the visa-free policy, 1,113 Malaysians entered the country.
On the other hand, Malaysia has reciprocated by offering a 30-day visa-free entry to citizens of China and India, effective from December 1 of this year and valid until the end of December 2024.
In addition to Malaysia, the Chinese government has implemented the same policy also for France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. According to the National Immigration Administration, the number of visitors has increased due to this visa-free policy.
Only from these six countries who were granted visa-free, the number of visitors that entered China on December 1, reached 2,029. Of those, more than 50 per cent were nationals of Malaysia.
According to statistics, the number of people entering China from the above-mentioned six countries that day increased by 12.54 per cent compared with the previous day.
Chinese authorities also noted that they have streamlined border procedures to facilitate the smooth implementation of the visa-free entry policy in an effort to promote exchanges with foreign nations.
The National Immigration Administration guides the exit and entry management departments of local public security organs to provide stay and residence convenience for visa-free entry personnel in accordance with laws and regulations.
Last month, China achieved a similar agreement with Kazakhstan, which permits citizens of both countries to travel to each other’s territories for tourism, business or medical treatment purposes without being obliged to hold a visa at first. Such a policy came into effect on November 10, this year.
China has taken such measures as a strategic step aimed at revitalizing international travel, responding to nearly three years of rigorous pandemic measures that included mandatory quarantines for all arriving individuals.
In the first half of this year, China registered 8.4 million foreign entries and exits, a significant decrease from the 977 million recorded in 2019, marking the last year before the pandemic.