China has announced that it will include Great Britain in its unilateral visa exemption program, which it launched in 2023 to increase international travel to the country after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Elchi.az reports that the British government announced that a visa exemption agreement was reached between the parties during Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China.
Accordingly, British citizens will be able to travel to China without a visa for a period not exceeding 30 days.
In his statement on the matter, Prime Minister Starmer emphasized that British companies are looking for ways to participate in China, one of the world’s most important economic power centers, and that this regulation, which provides visa exemption for short-term travel, will allow them to expand their businesses abroad while strengthening domestic growth and employment. China, which aims to revive international travel and tourism disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, has taken steps to promote travel by signing visa-free agreements with various countries.
In December 2023, the Beijing administration initially extended the visa-free program, which started with 6 countries and was limited to 15 days, to 30 days, increased the number of included countries to 47, and allowed citizens of 55 countries to enter without a visa for up to 10 days.
China also has reciprocal visa-free agreements with 29 countries.
British Prime Minister Starmer became the first British Prime Minister to visit China in 8 years.
Starmer, who arrived in Beijing on January 28 for a three-day visit, will hold talks in Beijing and Shanghai.
The last British Prime Minister to visit the country was Theresa May in 2018.
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