China has reinstated its visa-free entry program for Japanese travelers, along with citizens from eight other nations, including Bulgaria and Romania, as part of a broader initiative to stimulate tourism, trade, and investment. The new policy allows Japanese visitors to stay in China for up to 30 days without a visa, a significant extension from the previous 15-day exemption. This change will remain in effect through the end of 2025.
The visa waiver, suspended since March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, is part of China’s strategy to ease travel and enhance bilateral business and cultural exchanges. The Chinese government emphasized that the move aims to make travel from Japan “more convenient,” reflecting a renewed commitment to fostering tourism.
Yoshimasa Hayashi, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, expressed approval of the decision, highlighting that the resumption of visa-free travel would encourage “more people-to-people exchanges” between the two nations.
China is one of the key destinations in a wider campaign launched by Japan in May 2023 to promote outbound tourism. The initiative, supported by the Japan Tourism Agency and the Japan Association of Travel Agents, targets 24 countries and regions across Europe, North America, and the Asia-Pacific, with the goal of increasing Japanese travel abroad.
However, the impact of this new visa policy and the broader tourism campaign remains uncertain. In September 2024, outbound travel from Japan was down by over 30% compared to 2019, with only 1.2 million Japanese nationals traveling overseas, according to the Japan National Tourism Organization. Tensions in Japan-China relations, including a recent incident in Shenzhen where a Japanese schoolboy was fatally stabbed, may further complicate the effectiveness of these initiatives.
As China seeks to revitalize tourism and strengthen ties with Japan, the success of these efforts remains to be seen.
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