Visitors welcome!

China’s short-term Visa free visitor policy is proving to be a winner.  The list of countries offered this perk continues to grow – at time of writing, July 2025, up to 43.

There is a clear intent to lure foreign businessmen and tourists back after the severe and extended Covid lockdown.

2.6 million visitors came in through Shanghai in the first 6 months of 2025, half of them under the Visa free policy.  Notably most of these came from Russia, Japan, South Korea and the UAE, reflecting the reaction to Trumpian tariffs and the PRC focus on finding alternative markets.

Beijing had over 850,000 visa-free arrivals in the year to June.  This was 150% up on the same period in 2024.

Chengdu and Hainan were other centres to show large increases in visitor numbers. Hainan has a special deal of 30 days Visa free offered to 59 countries.

James Liang, chairman of China’s leading online travel service Ctrip, said the policy has been a boon for travel businesses.

“Our inbound tourism has already recovered to 70 to 80 per cent of pre-Covid levels. It could be fully recovered this year,” he told a Shanghai newspaper.

Many countries, particularly those in Europe and elsewhere in Asia, have received blanket exemptions to visa requirements. Their citizens can visit anywhere in the country during stays of up to 30 days. The scheme, in all its forms, now covers a majority of developed markets as well as much of Southeast Asia, which has strengthened its business ties with China in recent years.

In addition to the visa-free policy, the world’s second-largest economy has taken other steps to encourage spending among overseas tourists, including opening more duty-free shops across the country. Shenzhen is another city that has benefitted from the new policy. Visitors to Shenzhen have come from around the world but especially from Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Singapore. To keep pace with demand, a direct flight to Dubai from the city commenced in July, and multiple international routes were added this year to cities like Vientiane, Osaka, Singapore, Tokyo, Bangkok and Hanoi. Shenzhen, home to tech giants Tencent and Huawei, is attractive to travellers because of its status as a trade and manufacturing nerve centre, close to Hong Kong and a relatively low cost of living. It has also become known as a youthful fun city – having one of the youngest tech savvy populations in China.

Prayer points

Rejoice that PRC policy is to make it easier for visitors to come to China as opposed to the isolationist policies of earlier eras.

Pray that more Christians will be able to safely avail themselves of the visa free opportunity to visit China and to reconnect with friends from previous more open times.

Pray that the welcome will one day extend to people of faith allowing a return of international fellowship and Christian cooperation.