China added another three entry ports to its 144-hour visa-free transit policy, expanding the policy coverage to 37 ports in total, promoting local tourism at the ports of entry. It also shows increased efforts to further open up the services sector. The three new ports are Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport in Henan province, Lijiang Sanyi International Airport and the Mohan railway port in Yunnan province, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) said in a statement.
Entering at Zhengzhou airport, visitors will be allowed to travel within Henan province. The area covered in Yunnan province will be expanded from Kunming to include eight other cities and regions, such as Lijiang, Dali and Xishuangbanna. The Mohan railway port at the Chinese-Laotian border will greatly facilitate tourists from South-east Asia entering China through the China-Laos Railway. According to statistics from the NIA, in the first half of 2024, a total of 14.635 million foreign nationals visited China, up 152.7% year-on-year. Among them, 8.542 million foreigners entered China through visa-free policies, accounting for 52%, an increase of 190.1% year-on-year. Foreign citizens from 54 countries, including the US, Canada, the UK, Austria, Belgium, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar who enter China through the designated entry ports and hold valid international travel documents and connecting tickets to a third country or region within 72/144 hours, will be allowed to stay in designated areas for tourism, business, and visiting relatives visa-free, according to the NIA. The visa-free policies were launched in January 2013, the Global Times reports.
Nationals from a list of countries β including Belgium β can also enter China without a visa for 15 days for specific purposes, such as tourism, visiting relatives, or conducting business, but not for e.g. installing equipment, giving a musical performance or participating in sport competitions for which a visa is still required.
