UK and Canadian citizens can visit China visa-free from February 17 for tourism, business, and transit under a new 30-day policy.

BEIJING: China has officially confirmed a new visa-free travel arrangement for citizens of the United Kingdom and Canada. The policy takes effect from Tuesday, February 17.

Holders of ordinary passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for purposes including business, tourism, and family visits. The allowance is for a period not exceeding 30 days.

The Chinese foreign ministry stated the move is to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries”. The visa-free policy will remain in effect until December 31 this year.

The confirmation follows visits to Beijing by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in January. Both leaders had announced progress on such agreements following their meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Their trips were seen as efforts to bolster relations with Beijing. This diplomatic pivot comes amid increasingly complex relations with the United States.

 The Sun Malaysia