Jenny Zhang, an Australian resident, is looking forward to traveling to China to reunite with her 100-year-old mother, celebrating the newly announced visa-free entry for Australians.
“This is the best policy. It will provide great convenience to Chinese people living in Australia,” Zhang said, reflecting the broader sentiment within the Chinese community in Australia. “The Chinese community is very happy about this news.”
New Visa-Free Policy Announced
On Monday, Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced the introduction of 15-day visa-free travel for Australians, following a formal meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This initiative includes reciprocal five-year multiple entry visas for tourism, business, and family visits.
“We agreed to provide each other with reciprocal access to five-year multiple entry visas for tourism, business, and visiting family members — so as to better facilitate personal exchanges, China will also include Australia in its Visa Waiver Program,” Premier Li stated.
This new policy, set to be implemented in the coming months, will save Australians approximately $110, the current cost of a single-entry tourist visa.
Economic and Social Impacts
China’s tourism industry, valued at $580 billion in 2019, is slowly recovering from the pandemic’s impact, with projections indicating it might take another five years to reach pre-pandemic levels. The visa-free entry for Australians is expected to stimulate travel and economic exchanges between the two countries.
Concerns from Minority Communities
While many Australians welcome the new policy, not everyone is enthusiastic. Ramila Chanisheff, president of the Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women’s Association, expressed concerns about its limited benefits for her community.
“Our family members … we cannot even talk to them — let alone visit them,” she said. “Not all of us will be given visas to visit our family members. And if we do, we will be worried about our safety.”
Dawa Sangmo, the Chinese liaison officer of the Tibet Information Office in Canberra, echoed these worries. “The visa-free policy is not only an issue that relates to our safety but a matter that is more beneficial to China and its government,” she remarked.
Reciprocal Benefits
The visa-free arrangement is designed to be reciprocal, easing travel for Chinese visitors to Australia as well. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is the second-largest source of tourists to Australia, following New Zealand. However, the number of Chinese tourists traveling abroad remains down 40% from 2019 levels, according to Reuters.
As the policy rolls out, it aims to facilitate greater personal exchanges and strengthen bilateral ties, although concerns about safety and inclusivity for minority communities remain.