Japan Business Circle Calls for China Resuming Visa-Free Travel; Keizai Doyukai Visit to Country Marks 1st in 8 Years

By Fukutaro Yamashita / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondent

12:29 JST, November 5, 2024

BEIJING — The delegation of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives (Keizai Doyukai) on Monday called for China to exempt Japanese short-term visitors from visa requirements soon in its first visit to the country in eight years.

Doyukai Chairperson Takeshi Niinami, among others, met Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on the day and also called for China’s active participation in the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.

“I expect [Doyukai] to continue acting as a bridge for China-Japan economic and trade exchange and helping the two countries deepen their cooperation,” Han said at the meeting.

Niinami told reporters after the meeting that he felt “a positive will” from China regarding visa exemptions.

On Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry added nine countries, including South Korea and Norway, to the list of countries eligible for visa exemptions, but Japan was not included. Neither side is said to have brought up attacks against Japanese schoolchildren and others in China.

The Japan-China Economic Association visited Beijing in January for the first time in about four years.

Business associations in the Kansai region, including the Kansai Economic Federation, are scheduled to visit later this month.