To enhance tourism and business interactions, China has recently implemented a new policy, allowing Malaysian citizens to enter its borders without a visa. This policy is effective from December 1, 2023, and will remain in place until November 30, 2024.

Under this “China visa-free” initiative, Malaysians are granted the privilege of visa-free entry into China for a maximum of 15 days. This arrangement caters to various purposes including business, tourism, visiting family, and transit. This development was highlighted by VisaGuide.World.

Significantly, on the very day the policy was launched, an impressive number of 1,113 Malaysian visitors took advantage of this opportunity and entered China.

In a reciprocal gesture, Malaysia has extended a similar courtesy to Chinese and Indian nationals, offering them a 30-day visa-free entry starting from December 1, 2023, valid through the end of December 2024.

Expanding this policy, China has also included several European countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain. The National Immigration Administration reports a noticeable uptick in visitors following this visa exemption.

Specifically, on December 1, the total number of visitors from these six visa-exempt countries reached 2,029, with Malaysians accounting for over half of this influx. Statistical analysis reveals a 12.54% increase in the entry of people from these countries into China on December 1, compared to the previous day, as per the National Immigration Administration of China.

Chinese authorities have also streamlined border processes to ensure a smooth implementation of this visa-free policy. This move is part of a broader effort to foster international exchanges and cooperation.

The National Immigration Administration is guiding local public security departments in providing stay and residence facilities for those entering under the visa-free policy, in line with existing laws and regulations.

In a similar vein, last month, China established a visa-free travel agreement with Kazakhstan, allowing citizens to travel between the two countries for tourism, business, or medical treatment without needing a visa. This policy came into effect on November 10, 2023.

These measures are a strategic response by China to rejuvenate international travel after nearly three years of stringent pandemic-related restrictions, including mandatory quarantines for all arrivals.

In the first half of this year, China recorded 8.4 million foreign entries and exits. This figure is markedly lower than the 977 million registered in 2019, the last year before the global pandemic outbreak.