After the pandemic, tourists did not return to China in large numbers, so China began to take measures to reverse this trend and attract foreigners back here. The authorities launched a 30-day unilateral visa-free entry plan, which currently covers 47 countries including European countries such as France, Germany, and Italy. This plan does not include the United States and the United Kingdom (the US and UK apply for a 240-hour transit visa exemption policy - our website note), but Beijing has indeed taken measures to simplify entry requirements and new online systems, making it more convenient for citizens from these countries to apply for visas.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that post-pandemic China is experiencing a new "opening up." In April this year, I decided to take advantage of this opportunity to go to China. I taught there from 2017 to 2020.
I wanted to personally experience this new opening up. I also longed to visit China again because I saw some negative reports. In 2023, former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak listed China as a threat to the British way of life. The British government warned its citizens traveling to China.
The day after the new online system simplified the visa process for British citizens, I started my application. Compared with my past experiences applying for Chinese visas or EU visas after the UK's Brexit, the new visa process was much faster and simpler. I submitted my application, got approval, and arrived in China within a month. When I arrived at Shanghai Pudong Airport, no one checked my devices. I entered without much questioning.
China seemed more hospitable than I remembered. This is not only due to the smooth entry procedures or support provided by the entry lounge for foreign nationals to access China's digital network, but also because I saw advertisements for the National Immigration Administration Service Hotline, a multilingual service for inbound and outbound personnel that opened in 2021.
Making it easier to enter China visa-free helps restore tourist numbers. Last year, inbound tourists spent $94.2 billion in China, an increase of 77.8% year-on-year. Besides these tangible economic benefits, China also presents a more hospitable image to the world, which could potentially achieve significant soft power victories.
This is because while China is implementing new openings, the US is making it harder for foreigners to enter. US President Trump is cracking down on foreign students' visas and imposing new travel bans on citizens from certain countries. Reports indicate that the number of travelers detained at the US border due to political views has increased.
Canada warned its citizens to "be prepared for strict checks" when entering the US and that they may be detained if denied entry. Germany updated its travel warning, with some German citizens being detained at the US border; a visa or entry exemption does not guarantee their entry into the US.
No wonder there has been a decline in positive perceptions of the US internationally. A survey by YouGov in February found that only about one-third of British, French, German, and Swedish respondents had a favorable view of the US.
As the global political landscape shifts, China's new openings provide an opportunity to increase people-to-people interactions and enhance its soft power in countries skeptical of China. China's more welcoming attitude toward foreign tourists may contrast sharply with the more threatening and closed-off US. (Compiled/translated by Ge Xuelai)
On April 12, 2025, foreign tourists took photos at the Sister Festival celebration held in Taijiang County, Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, Guizhou Province. (Xinhua News Agency)
Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7515993046736142889/
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