Authorities in China are seeking to achieve a reciprocal visa agreement with Japan, asking for visa exemption for Chinese diplomatic and official passport holders.
China’s request comes in an effort to revive the pre-pandemic unilateral practice of exempting visa requirements for Japanese short-term visitors, VisaGuide.World reports.
Besides, the latest move was considered as a concession as China had previously demanded equal visa-free treatment from Japan for Chinese short-term visitors.
China allowed nationals from Japan to visit the country without being subject to visas for a period of up to 15 days between 2003 and 2020. However, authorities in Japan require all Chinese visitors to hold visas regardless of length of stay.
A Japanese government source said the request for reciprocal visa treatment is not easy, particularly among conservative party members who might not readily agree with the idea.
At present, Japan allows holders of diplomatic and official passports from 60 countries, excluding China, to reach the country visa-free.
Tokyo also exempts visas for short-term travelers from a total of 70 countries and regions, taking into account Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, the United States, Brazil, and Britain.
After abolishing the COVID-related measures introduced to contain the spread of COVID-19 and its new strains, China resumed unilateral visa-free arrangements for short-term visitors from Brunei and Singapore in July last year.
In December last year, authorities in China and Singapore said they plan to implement mutual visa exemption arrangements in early 2024.
In addition, in December, China also implemented a visa-free entry policy for nationals of France, Malaysia, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain staying in China for up to 15 days, with the measure taken on a trial basis until November 2024.
Last week, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced during his visit to Europe that China will permit people from Ireland and Switzerland to visit his country without being subject to visa requirements.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning The said the new change comes as part of efforts “to facilitate the high-quality development of Chinese and foreign personnel exchanges and high-level opening up to the outside world.” His comments came during a briefing on the initial announcement made last year.
The new changes mean that Irish and Swiss nationals will now be permitted to enter China without visas and, therefore, join other European countries such as France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia.