China and Australia have agreed to introduce reciprocal five-year multiple-entry visas for tourism and business purposes, signaling an improvement in bilateral relations.
The Chinese foreign ministry announced on June 21 that this decision followed a visit by the country's Premier Li Qiang to Australia earlier in the week, marking a stabilisation in diplomatic ties following strained relations.
Previously, Chinese citizens could obtain visas for up to one year to travel to Australia, with options for up to 10 years for frequent travelers.
The new arrangement reflects efforts to enhance travel convenience and deepen economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.
In response to the announcement, searches for flights, hotels, and related services for Australia surged by over 200% on Chinese travel platforms, indicating strong interest among Chinese tourists and business travelers.
China has been progressively relaxing entry requirements for visitors from various countries since last year, aiming to facilitate international travel after stringent COVID-19 restrictions were imposed for three years, effectively sealing its borders.
During Premier Li's visit to Australia, he also announced that China would include Australia in its visa waiver program, allowing Australian passport holders to visit China for up to 15 days without needing a visa.
These measures are expected to further boost tourism and foster closer ties between the two nations.
Meanwhile, ,China's international air passenger traffic recovered to over 80% of pre-Covid levels in April, reflecting efforts by Beijing to attract more overseas visitors to the Asian country's shores and a growing propensity of Chinese to travel abroad post the COVID-19 pandemic
Source: https://www.cnbctv18.com/travel/destinations/china-australia-introduce-unique-5-year-multiple-entry-tourist-visa-initiative-19432268.htm
