China will expand visa-free travel to more countries and seek more countries for mutual visa exemption, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, as China continues to make efforts to facilitate travel and tourism with more countries.
Up to now, China has inked mutual visa exemption agreements covering different types of passports with 157 countries, reached agreements or arrangements on simplified visa procedures with 44 countries and enjoyed comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 23 countries, including Thailand, Singapore, the Maldives and UAE, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday.
On Sunday, China and Thailand signed in Bangkok a mutual visa exemption agreement, which will come into effect on March 1. This move followed visa exemption agreements between China and some other Southeast Asian countries, which show China's commitment to expanding its openness.
Days earlier, China and Singapore signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption, which will officially come into effect on February 9. Malaysia also exempted Chinese citizens from visa requirements.
After the mutual visa exemption agreement is reached between China and Singapore and between China and Thailand, the number of travel bookings for the Spring Festival made by Chinese visitors to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as that by visitors from these three countries to China surged significantly year-on-year.
