China's Visa-Free Diplomacy
In a notable policy change, China, despite its traditionally strict visa policies, has now opened its borders, granting visa-free entry to ordinary passport holders from 75 countries.
Starting from June 9, citizens from four Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain – could enter China and stay for up to 30 days without a visa. Two other GCC members, the UAE and Qatar, have maintained reciprocal visa-free arrangements with China since 2018. This means that all six GCC countries now enjoy visa-free access to China.
Earlier, on June 1, China granted similar privileges to the nationals of five South American countries – Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay – and two Central Asian states, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Ordinary passport holders from these countries can also enter China visa-free for up to 30 days. In most cases, China made these concessions unilaterally – and the list is expanding.
China's visa-free diplomacy reflects a broader soft power strategy, aimed at enhancing its international image through increased people-to-people engagement. At the same time, the growing number of countries offering reciprocal visa-free or simplified procedures for Chinese travelers indicates two-way mobility.
The trend of major relaxations in China's visa policies started in 2023-24. In late 2024, China offered visa-free expansions to Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan, with the visa-free stay extended from 15 to 30 days for citizens of these countries.
In total, 75 countries now enjoy visa-free travel to China for stays of up to 30 days. These changes were accompanied by complementary efforts to boost international travel: improved tourism services, multilingual signage at major attractions, targeted promotional campaigns, and tourism cooperation agreements. Enhanced infrastructure – improved airports and railways – and the availability of digital translation tools have also made China a more welcoming destination.
China's strategy is not just about recovering post-COVID-19 tourism levels; it aims to leverage visa-free travel for a broader economic rejuvenation.
China's National Immigration Administration reported that during the first six months of 2025, 38 million foreign nationals made trips to or from China. This was a 30 percent year-on-year increase. Among them, 13.64 million were on visa-free entries, a 53.9 percent increase compared to last year.
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2025, China's tourism sector (both domestic and international) will contribute a record-breaking 13.7 trillion yuan ($1.93 trillion) to the national economy – the highest level ever, over 10 percent above pre-pandemic figures. The sector will also sustain 83 million jobs.
Sluggish domestic consumption, despite efforts to stimulate consumer spending, has been a challenge for a long time. Chinese authorities view the visa-free policy, and the resulting boost in inbound international travelers, as part of the solution. Following the broad opening, China introduced incentives to encourage greater spending by travelers. Beijing facilitated departure tax refund services, encouraging more businesses to become tax refund shops and expanding the range of goods eligible for tax refunds. These measures make shopping in China more attractive to foreign tourists. High-tech items, such as smartphones, smartwatches, and drones, are among the products that will soon be eligible for tax refunds. To tackle the significant barriers for foreign payments, China expanded payment options, allowing certain foreign bank cards to be linked to WeChat and Alipay, China's ubiquitous digital payment services.
But it's not all smooth sailing. International visitors to China face challenges in terms of internet access, with many global social media apps and websites blocked. Tourists may struggle to use Chinese alternatives that often lack English support and require a local phone number. However, foreigners using their home country's SIM card with international roaming can access the internet. Chinese telecom providers also offer SIM cards to foreigners that provide internet access, although the setup process may require extra steps.
Despite the move to allow foreign cards to link up with WeChat and Alipay, paying for goods and services can still be challenging. Small vendors and local hotels may not accept foreign credit cards or cash, and many booking platforms and apps are available only in Mandarin. Additional difficulties include cumbersome ticketing processes, limited hotel options for foreigners (not all hotels are allowed to accept foreign visitors), and a general lack of English language support, especially outside major cities.
For China, relaxed visa rules also bring a new set of challenges. Beijing worries about potential side effects like illegal immigration, security issues, including terrorism, transnational crime, overstays, a strain on services, and a loss of visa revenue.
Perhaps due to these concerns, China's visa-free policy for most of the 75 countries is initially limited to a one-year trial. Based on this experience, Beijing will decide whether to keep the policy or tighten its borders once again.
For now, China has the most liberal visa policy since the founding of the People's Republic in 1949. This indicates a shift from China's long-standing reputation as a tightly controlled, security-focused state with restrictive entry policies and high levels of suspicion toward foreign influence. Notably, China is opening its doors to other countries as the U.S. enforces stricter visa regulations, including outright bans on the citizens of certain countries.
The visa liberalization is likely to support China's diplomatic efforts, especially in promoting people-to-people exchanges and showcasing its rich cultural heritage, while also bringing economic benefits. A newly welcoming stance to foreign visitors has the potential to significantly impact China's overall image in the world.
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