Visitors to the Bund in Shanghai in April pose for a photograph, with the Pudong financial district in the background. WANG GANG/FOR CHINA DAILY
That people from 38 countries can enter China and stay up to 30 days for business, tourism and other purposes without a visa, while nationals from 54 other countries can enjoy 72-or 144-hour visa-free transits shows China's determination to further open up to the world.
The optimization of the visa policies addresses the concerns of global tourists. Earlier reports had quoted many overseas tourists as saying that 15 days are "not enough to enjoy China".
China has also introduced a series of policies to make foreigners' lives in China more convenient. They can now enjoy "one-stop" services at reserved windows for the rapid processing of work and residence permits, pay for their daily expenses via mobile channels, bank cards and cash almost everywhere, while domestic telecommunications operators are opening outlets, enhancing foreign language services, and launching new packages to make it easier for foreigners to access the 5G network.
Statistics show that the number of foreign tourists entering China is edging closer to pre-pandemic levels.
When these tourists share their firsthand experience in China on social networking sites, it helps reshape global perceptions about China. That they are also paying more attention to exploring local culture helps promote the attractiveness of Chinese culture.
Continuously expanding the scope of visa exemption not only facilitates international economic and trade exchanges, but also conveys China's confidence in expanding its openness. Despite some countries tightening their visa policies toward China, the country's pace of opening-up has not paused and it remains committed to promoting cultural exchanges and fostering people-to-people connectivity.
