【Wen / Observers Network, Liu Bai】Canadian Prime Minister Kan earlier visited China, corrected the relationship with China, and announced that China would "soon" exempt Canadian citizens from visa requirements.

On January 21st local time, Chinese Ambassador to Canada Wang Di made comments to the Canadian Press, stating that the relevant measures had not yet taken effect formally, and needed to wait for the official announcement from China. The outside world believes that this means the visa exemption measure is still under discussion.

"China has indeed noticed that Prime Minister Kan has publicly stated that China told him that China is actively considering a unilateral visa exemption for Canadian citizens," said Wang Di. "As for what specific visa policy will be introduced, we still need to wait for the official announcement from China."

When asked about when China would adjust its visa policy and the duration of stay for Canadians without a visa in China, Wang Di said there were no details available at present.

He pointed out that in recent years, China has implemented a 30-day visa-free entry policy for dozens of countries, which covers citizens of most European countries and several developed economies in Asia.

Wang Di said that China hopes to see more frequent exchanges between people of the two countries to promote the various agreements reached last week between the two countries.

He said, "If further convenience can be provided for the exchange of people between the two countries, it will benefit the communication between the people of the two countries. Because China has always adhered to a policy of supporting and encouraging people-to-people exchanges."

On January 16th, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Karney attended a China-Canada trade and investment dinner and delivered a speech. IC Photo

Karney said at a press conference held in Beijing on the 16th that China had committed to "ensuring that Canadians traveling to China enjoy visa exemption."

He again posted on social media on the 18th saying, "Nearly 2 million Canadians have Chinese heritage, many of whom have family and friends across the Pacific. As we restart this relationship, China has committed to allowing Canadian citizens to enter China without a visa soon."

At present, neither the Chinese government nor official media have released any statements to confirm this claim. The Department of Global Affairs of Canada also did not respond immediately to Wang Di's remarks.

Canadians can currently enter China's Hong Kong, Macao regions, and Hainan Province without a visa, but they still need to apply and pay related fees to enter mainland China—except for individuals transiting between Canada and a third country.

It is reported that Karney's remarks about visa exemption for traveling to China have sparked a heated reaction among the Chinese-Canadian community, with multiple community media outlets reporting on the possibility of this matter.

A travel company in Burnaby, British Columbia, which provides services to Chinese-speaking customers in the Greater Vancouver area, said that since Karney made relevant remarks, it has received numerous calls from customers inquiring about the possibility of visa exemption for traveling to China.

A staff member of the company advised customers to patiently wait for the official announcement from the Chinese government.

In recent years, China and Canada have taken multiple measures to promote exchanges between their people. In 2024, China reduced the fee for Canadians applying for Chinese visas.

Karney visited China from January 13th to 17th, marking the first visit by a Canadian prime minister to China since 2017. Both sides reached broad consensus on deepening economic and trade cooperation, signed the "China-Canada Economic and Trade Cooperation Roadmap," and formed a preliminary joint arrangement for handling bilateral economic and trade issues.

The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding, agreeing to cooperate between both national tourism administrations to promote activities such as the natural landscapes of the two countries, friendly city exchanges, and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Derek Holt, head of capital markets economics at Scotiabank, praised the latest agreement reached by the Canadian government with China in his report to investors, calling it a correction of the previous administration. The Trudeau government often "subordinated bilateral economic and trade relations to moral statements and hypocritical accusations," while the Karney government showed that "business is now the main focus."

Holt praised, "Well done, Prime Minister Karney and his team."

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7598363446538764815/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.