New visa law offers lifeline to foreigners during emergencies

China's new Exit and Entry Administration Law is proving useful for foreign sailors in emergency situations.

In early July, Garcia Cristopher Jusayan, a Filipino sailor on the Mariner of the Seas cruise ship, was touring Shanghai while his ship was docked in port.

Jusayan fell ill on July 9, the day the ship was scheduled to leave for South Korea. Stuck in the hospital without an extended visa, he was in a quandary.