BRI also means soft connectivity, greater people-to-people contact

Foreigners interested in business but having no time to apply for a visa for visiting China can now apply for a port visa and enter the country with an invitation letter from a Chinese enterprise and related certificates, a process that is commonly known as "visa on arrival". Authorities said this at a recent news conference.

The smooth advancement of the Belt and Road Initiative requires not only "hard connectivity" of infrastructure, but also "soft connectivity" of rules and standards. How easily Chinese enterprises and their personnel can travel abroad and foreign businesspeople can enter China depends on transparent and convenient rules. Only by creating a business environment governed by the rule of law can their confidence in China's development be boosted and steady progress of Belt and Road cooperation be ensured.

Both cultural exchanges and trade and investment cooperation require smooth and orderly flow of people. While eligible foreigners can apply for a "visa on arrival", with the improvement of information, standards and regulation of China's exit-entry services, they can also apply for residence permits and not have to submit their original passports once checked, making travel, accommodation, taxation, banking, mailing and other procedures more convenient.

In this regard, Beijing's exit-entry authorities have established a liaison system, enabling a number of officers to provide specialized one-on-one services to enterprises. Such services have already been provided to more than 970 enterprises from whom more than 3,400 applications have been received.

With the deepening of cross-border exchanges, the demand for expedited entry and exit of Chinese citizens is also increasing.

The Belt and Road Initiative is not only a road to economic and trade exchanges, but also a road for opening-up and people-to-people exchanges. The smooth and orderly flow of people, goods, capital and data, and the realization of a higher level of connectivity and deeper exchanges and cooperation are the essence of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation. The reform China has carried out in its exit-entry policies will create better conditions for promoting cultural and people-to-people exchanges, which will further contribute to the higher-quality development of the Belt and Road Initiative.

BEIJING NEWS