Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi elaborated China's efforts in visa facilitation Tuesday. As more Chinese are expecting their passports to carry heavier weight, Wang's words were seen as good news for them. [Special coverage]
China has reached arrangements with another 18 countries to facilitate easier travel in 2015. Chinese citizens now can visit 54 countries and regions without a visa or by obtaining a visa upon arrival, Wang told the reporters at a press conference held during the ongoing 4th Session of 12th National People's Congress, the country's top legislative body.
It was not the first time that Mr. Wang tackled visa facilitation during theNPC press conference. Last year, the Foreign Ministry pledged to create more favorable conditions for Chinese nationals to travel abroad. These statements came as more Chinese citizens travel abroad and more enterprises test the water in overseas markets.
According to statistics, the number of mainland Chinese citizens traveling abroad has exceeded 120 million in 2015, maintaining annual growth byover 10 million.
At the same year, China's labor exported reached 1.03million and 1.71 million Chinese students studying abroad. Around 30,000 Chinese enterprises have set up branches in nearly 200 countries and regions.
To meet demand of the growing, the Chinese government has made efforts to ensure outbound Chinese tourists enjoy more convenience. As a result, the Chinese passport now carries more weight in the international community.
Thailand, Egypt as well as other 33 countries and regions now grant Chinese passport holders entry visa upon arrival and another 12 countriesallow ordinary Chinese citizens to enter their territoryexempting visa.
In 2015, China has signed 21 agreements with 18 countries, including Canada, the UK, Argentina and Ireland to facilitate mutual exchange. For example, China and Canada agreed to issue maximum 10-year-long multiple entry visasfor businessperson, touristsand family visitors, while China and the UK will issue the multiple entry visas, which will last for two years, for the citizens from each other country.
Besides, when AmericanPresident Barack Obama visited China in November, 2014, both sides agreed to signmultiple-entry visa arrangement valid for 10 years for people on business or sightseeing trips.
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, during her Chinese visit in this February, said that the Australian government already started the pilot work of granting 10-year multiple-entry tourist visas to Chinese visitors, which is expected to be formally implemented in this year.
Meanwhile, it will be much easier for Chinese people to apply for an EU visa after the signing of the first agreement on the facilitation of personnel exchanges between China and the EU on February 29. Now 15 European visa centers in Chinese cities can process visa applications.
In addition, China will establish new consular agenciesor expand existing ones in 13 countries to better serve overseas Chinese nationals and enterprises.
The recently-released 2016 Henley & Partners Visa Restrictions Index, a global ranking of countries and regions according to the travel freedom that their citizens enjoy, shows that China was bumped up to No. 87 from No. 93 in the last year.
