China implemented a one-sided visa exemption policy for five Latin American countries including Brazil and Argentina as of the 1st. With this, the total number of countries eligible for the national one-sided visa exemption policy has expanded to 43, marking the first time that the visa exemption policy has been extended to the Latin American region.

Following the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-Latin America Forum held in Beijing on May 13th, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian announced the expansion of the visa exemption country scope during a regular press conference on the 15th. He stated that starting from June 1st, 2024 until May 31st, 2026, a trial visa exemption policy will be implemented for these five countries: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay. Lin Jian introduced that personnel from these five countries traveling to China for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transiting for no more than 30 days can enter without a visa.

Starting December 2023, the mainland successively implemented a one-sided visa exemption policy for countries including France, Switzerland, New Zealand, Portugal, and Slovakia; in 2024 alone, the total number of foreigners entering China through this policy reached 3.391 million, increasing by 1200% year-on-year.

According to data from the National Immigration Administration, during the May Day holiday period, the number of foreigners entering China under the visa exemption policy was 380,000, an increase of 72.7% compared to the same period last year. With the implementation of the new round of visa exemption policies, it is expected that tourism and business activities from the five Latin American countries, including Brazil and Argentina, will further grow. Data from travel platforms show that during the May Day holiday, flight bookings from these five countries increased by 15% compared to the same period last year.

In the context of Sino-US rivalry, the strategic significance of Sino-Latin American relations has become even more prominent. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized at the China-Latin America Forum that Latin America is the common home of the Latin American people, not the backyard of any country, while criticizing certain major powers for being obsessed with strength supremacy and national priority, attempting to replace international rules with the law of the jungle and unilateral hegemony with multilateral systems.

To date, over 20 Latin American countries have signed "Belt and Road" cooperation memorandums with China, with five countries including Chile and Peru having reached free trade agreements with China. According to reports from the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, bilateral trade between China and Latin America exceeded $500 billion in 2024. Currently, China remains the second-largest trading partner of Latin America, and at the same time, the largest trading partner of countries such as Brazil, Chile, and Peru.

The mainland continues to expand its visa exemption circle, adding Brazil and five other countries starting from the 1st. The image shows foreign tourists traveling in Shanghai. (Xinhua News Agency)

In addition, China recently announced during the ASEAN-China-Persian Gulf Cooperation Council Summit that starting from September 9th, a trial visa exemption policy will be implemented for ordinary passport holders from Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait, and Bahrain, lasting for one year.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7511168860297495040/

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