By Labour Department of The Government of Hong Kong
China’s Notice on Further Adjustment of Visa and Entry Policies for Foreigners to China which took effect on 14 March 2023 has brought about more relaxed policies with regards to the stricter visa issuance guidelines for foreigners enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Other changes to ease of travel into China include the following:
- Foreigners with valid visas issued before 28 March 2020 will be allowed to enter the country
- Visa-free entry to the southern island province of Hainan and cruise tour groups at Shanghai ports will be reinstated
- Visa-free entry to the southern province of Guangdong for tour groups of foreigners entering from the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions will be restored
China announced on 8 January that its COVID-19 management policies had been eased to better allow cross-border travel, a move that was celebrated by the global community.
"Exciting news! China has resumed issuing all kinds of visas, including tourism! We in the Israeli consulate in Guangzhou welcome everyone to come and explore the beauty of this incredible region," said Aviv Zell, an Israeli diplomat at the country's Guangzhou consulate.
The British Chamber of Commerce in China said it is pleased to see such swift action being taken in turning commitments and statements at the two sessions into tangible outcomes.
"We hope that these further steps will boost international interest in engaging with China and ultimately result in an increase in visitors to the country, the Chamber said. “This, in turn, would contribute to rebuilding trust, mutual understanding and mark another step toward restoring China's image as a destination for international talent and business."
Chinese Premier Li Qiang said China will maintain its opening-up policy and welcome investors from all over the world at a press conference in March following the conclusion of the two sessions.
"Opening-up is a basic state policy for China. No matter how the external situation may evolve, we will stay firmly committed to pursuing this policy," he said, noting that the country will further expand opening-up in alignment with high-standard trade rules this year, and China will only open itself wider to the world.
Li also stressed that most foreign companies are optimistic about their development prospects in China and have backed this argument with numbers. According to Li, China utilized foreign investment totalling $189 billion last year, which was about $50 billion more than three years earlier.
"This demonstrates that China remains a popular destination for global investment," Quang said.