China extends visa-free policy to end of 2026

China will extend its visa-free entry policy for 45 countries, including Australia and New Zealand, until December 31, 2026, and expand it to Sweden from November 10, the foreign ministry said.

A statement issued by the foreign ministry’s consular affairs department said the extension covers 32 European countries, as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and many states in South America and the Gulf region.

The policy was scheduled to end at the end of this year in many countries.

China has offered visa-free entry to citizens of dozens of countries in recent years as part of efforts to attract foreign visitors, revive a tourism industry battered by years of strict Covid-19 controls and increase foreign interaction.

The United States, Canada and the United Kingdom are not part of this plan.

Accordingly, visitors from eligible countries will be able to enter China for business, tourism, family visits or transit purposes without a visa for up to 30 days.

China is also expanding its access to the European Union, an important trading partner at a time when trade relations are strained.

The one-year suspension of China’s expanded rare earth export controls, announced after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump in South Korea last week, will also apply to the European Union, the bloc confirmed in a statement after officials met in Brussels last week to ease tensions.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said on Monday that the two sides agreed to continue communication and exchanges to promote the stability and smooth operation of China-EU industrial and supply chains.