Reference News Network, February 27 report: According to the Singapore Straits Times website on February 22, as millions of people around the world welcomed the Chinese Lunar New Year, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau posted on social media to celebrate a pivotal moment in Ottawa's relationship with Beijing. On February 17, Trudeau wrote, "We are restarting Canada-China relations." He praised the official implementation of the visa-free policy for Canadian citizens traveling to China, which is part of the two countries' efforts to build a new type of strategic partnership.

British citizens also received the same visa-free entry treatment to China starting February 17. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said this policy would create more opportunities for British companies to expand their presence in the Chinese market.

Analysts said that the current global landscape is rapidly changing, and China is repairing relationships with middle powers, and such visa-free policies are a key tool of China's diplomatic actions.

At the same time, this policy continues China's recent measures to relax visa requirements and attract more foreign tourists. Analysts believe that this move serves both to enhance soft power and to stimulate consumption demand. Expanding domestic demand remains the main task of China's economic work in 2026.

Dylan Loh, associate professor at Nanyang Technological University who studies China's foreign policy, said expanding the scope of the visa-free policy is a "wise strategy." He pointed out that this approach not only facilitates smoother entry of people, capital, and ideas into China but also helps Beijing convey the message that China remains open to the world.

Loh added: "China still has a lot of room to promote tourism, and it can also help other countries better understand China. What way is more effective than letting foreign people see it with their own eyes? From the perspective of public diplomacy, this move carries great significance."

With Canada and the UK joining, China currently implements a unilateral visa-free policy for travelers from 50 countries, allowing a stay of up to 30 days.

In addition, China has reached mutual visa exemption arrangements for ordinary passport holders with 29 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. At this point, the total number of countries whose citizens can enter China visa-free reaches 79.

Meanwhile, citizens of qualified countries such as the United States may enter specific areas of China for up to 10 days without a visa if they transit through China to a third country.

Data show that the Chinese visa-free policy, along with supporting measures to optimize the mobile payment system and improve the tourist experience, have already shown results. In 2025, over 30 million foreign tourists entered China through the visa-free policy, an increase of nearly 50% compared to 2024.

Travel analyst Gary Ballman said that China's visa-free policy has had a "dynamic effect" on short-distance, short-term tourism markets such as South Korea, as well as Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam.

Ballman, who heads a travel consulting company focused on the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, said: "Southeast Asian tourists now regard China as their preferred destination, not only because of the shorter geographical distance and lower travel costs... China's technology and pop culture continue to rise in popularity, further enhancing its appeal."

Kalvin Xie (音), general manager of FCM Travel's China division, which provides travel services for corporate clients, said that the visa-free policy has also had a significant impact on business travel.

Professor Huang Songshan from Edith Cowan University in Australia said: "In human history, no other country has ever implemented such policies for so many countries within such a short period of time. It is reasonable for China to first pilot the policy and then extend it once everything proceeds smoothly."

In Huang Songshan's view, the visa-free policy has become a powerful tool in China's diplomatic toolkit, promoting consumption and trade growth and injecting new vitality into the economy. (Translation by Guo Jun)

Original: toutiao.com/article/7611364255878693410/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.