China offers full visa-free access to 25 countries, will create more convenience for people-to-people exchanges: FM official

China has offered full visa-free access to 25 countries, signing mutual visa-free agreements with six countries, including Singapore, Thailand and Kazakhstan, Tong Xuejun, an official from Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday at a press conference. The official also said the ministry will continue to launch visa facilitation initiatives to create more convenience for Chinese and foreign business people.

Tong added that the country has implemented a unilateral visa-free policy for 29 countries, including France and Germany. So far, China has established visa-free agreements for various passports with 157 countries and regions, he said.

Tong made the remarks following China's Ministry of Commerce on Thursday rolling out nine measures to support foreign trade, including advancing the signing of visa-free agreements with more countries, expanding the scope of countries eligible for China's unilateral visa-free policy in an orderly way, broadening areas where the transit visa-free policy applies, and extending the allowable stay duration.

During the press conference, Tong said that so far this year, the ministry has reached arrangements with Brazil, Australia and other countries for the mutual issuance of five-year and 10-year multiple-entry visas. It also issued five-year multiple-entry visas to people from Central and Eastern Europe and other countries, and five-year multiple-entry visas to business people from the Mekong River countries.

The ministry also participated in the APEC Business Travel Card Scheme, which facilitates the travel of Chinese and foreign business people in the Asia-Pacific region, the official added.

Moreover, the ministry rolled out a new version of the Chinese visa application form, with 34 percent of items optimized and simplified. Chinese embassies and consulates abroad have completely abolished the visa appointment system and further expanded the scope of fingerprint-free access. In addition, it also reduced visa fees by 25 percent of the current rates.

According to official data, in the third quarter of this year, China saw 8.19 million trips made by foreign visitors, an increase of 48.8 percent year-on-year, according to official data. Among them, about 4.89 million trips were made with visa exemptions, up 78.6 percent year-on-year, Tong said.

The Foreign Ministry will create more convenience for the exchanges between Chinese and foreign people, especially business people, in order to serve high-quality development and high-level opening-up, the official noted.