China plans to expand its unilateral visa-free policies

China plans to further expand the scope of its unilateral visa-free policies to more countries in an orderly manner while continuously refining visa policies for foreign nationals traveling to China, a new guideline said.

The country will also boost facilitation measures in communication, accommodation and payment options to attract more overseas visitors, according to the guideline issued by the Ministry of Commerce and eight other entities on Tuesday.

The guideline listed 19 measures to help drive further growth in service consumption, a key orientation for advancing the improvement of people’s well-being and for the transformation and upgrading of consumption.

China will also extend five-year multiple-entry visas to more eligible foreign nationals and draw more international students to study in the country, the guideline said.

Besides, the country will step up international promotion of its cultural and tourism resources, tap into the strengths of traditional cultural resources like diverse cuisines, traditional Chinese medicine, and cultural relics, and encourage travel agencies and online travel platforms to launch more featured tour routes suitable for foreign visitors.

Additionally, China will continue to foster international-oriented markets in areas such as medical services and exhibitions.