China will implement an experimental visa exemption policy with five Latin American countries. The announcement was initially made by President Xi Jinping in his opening speech at the IV China-CELAC Ministerial Forum, but without specifying which countries.
The confirmation about Brazil’s inclusion in the group came this Thursday. Citizens holding passports from Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, who “come to China for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchange visits, or transit,” for a maximum period of 30 days, are also in the visa-exempt group.
The policy will take effect on June 1, 2025, and will extend until May 31, 2026, according to Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“China will adhere to high-level opening up to the outside world and will introduce more measures to continuously improve the level of facilitation of personnel exchanges with foreign countries,” Lin said at the press conference.
The spokesperson invited “more foreign friends to make good use of China’s visa exemption and facilitation policies, visit China more frequently, and see and experience the colorful, passionate, and vibrant China.”
During the China-CELAC ministerial forum, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country will intensify “inter-civilizational exchanges and mutual learning.”
He also announced that China “will expand exchanges between universities, think tanks, media outlets, and at subnational levels.”
To overcome distance and differences through cultural exchanges and mutual learning, the minister stated that China will continue hosting the China-Latin America and Caribbean People-to-People Friendship Forum and the Local Governments Cooperation Forum.
Source: www.brasildefato.com.br