Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, has proposed an extension of the tourist visa exemption period for Malaysians traveling to China from 15 to 30 days.
Currently, Malaysians are permitted visa-free entry to China provided that they do not stay in its territory for more than 15 days. Those who want to stay for more than 15 days need to obtain a visa.
Taking this into consideration, the Deputy Prime Minister said that China should permit Malaysians to stay visa-free in its territory for 30 days, VisaGuide.World reports.
In addition, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail has indicated that Malaysia plans to also require China to extend the end date of the visa-free exemption period from December 31, 2025, to December 31, 2026.
Our stance is that by offering Chinese citizens a 30-day visa-free stay to boost the tourism industry… Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi discussed before that China should reciprocate because currently, China gives us (Malaysian tourists) only 15 days without a visa.
Malaysia & China’s Extended Cross-Border Crime Agreement
According to local media, the Interior Minister of Malaysia Saifuddin Nasution further emphasized that Malaysia will focus on cross-border issues such as human trafficking and cybercrime. He stressed that these new challenges require collaborative efforts between countries.
Malaysia and China had previously extended their agreement on combating cross-border crime, which is set to remain in effect until 2034. This extension was formalized during June’s Fifth Meeting of the Malaysia-People’s Republic of China Joint Working Group on Combating Cross-Border Crime in Beijing.
The Interior Minister also highlighted a recent conference in Laos where the ASEAN secretary-general pointed out the rising global trend of cross-border crime over the past two years, with estimated losses reaching US$1.02 trillion.
Additionally, Saifuddin Nasution mentioned that initial discussions have started with the National Security Council (MKN) to develop a priority list of national security and crime threats, aiming to address these issues more effectively.
China Sees a Large Number of Entries From Malaysia
China introduced a visa-free policy for Malaysian citizens, effective December 1 of this year and valid until November 30, 2024. On the day this policy was implemented, China’s National Immigration Administration reported that 1,113 Malaysians entered the country.
The same visa-free program was also launched for five other European countries—France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain—resulting in 2,029 visitors from these nations entering China on December 1, 2023, with over 50 percent being Malaysian nationals.
Under this policy, Malaysian nationals can visit China visa-free for up to 15 days for business, tourism, family visits, or transit. In response, Malaysia has granted a 30-day visa-free entry to Chinese and Indian citizens, effective December 1 of this year and valid through December 2024.