China’s decision to issue all types of visas again from tomorrow

The Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday, March 14 that it will resume issuing all types of visas to foreigners from today, Wednesday, March 15. The announcement of the easing of travel restrictions is an important step towards reopening China to the outside world.

The Beijing government announced the end of its ‘zero tolerance’ policy on the coronavirus outbreak last December, then began reopening its borders the following month.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that the areas of China that did not require a visa before the Covid-19 epidemic will return to the visa-free entry policy. Along with this, visa-free entry for foreigners from Hong Kong, Macao and ASEAN group countries is also being restarted.

The announcement also said that Beijing is also lifting restrictions on cruise ship passage on Hainan Island and ports in Shanghai. According to the announcement, visas issued before March 28, 2020, if still valid, will also be allowed to re-enter China.

China has added 40 more countries to its latest list, for which group tours will also be allowed. But it still does not include Japan, South Korea, Australia and the United States.

The country’s new Premier Li Keqiang said on Monday that China’s strategy to deal with Covid-19 took less than two months to reach a “smooth transition” and that the government had The policy and measures were absolutely right.

Other countries of the world had already started reopening their borders, but China continued its strict policy regarding the Corona epidemic and when protests against it started in many parts of the country, then the government in its strict policy. What was the announcement of relaxation?

There was also a sudden spike in Covid cases due to the easing of restrictions. Beijing waived quarantine requirements for travelers but maintained visa restrictions, which are being lifted on March 15. After easing restrictions, the government has also resumed issuing passports to its citizens for ‘tourism’ or visits to ‘friends abroad’.

According to the World Tourism Organization, a subsidiary organization of the United Nations, 65.7 million international tourists visited China in 2019 before the Corona epidemic. However, in the following year, this number dropped to 8 million.