China to Resume Visa Waiver for Japanese Nationals; Visiting for Business, Tourist Reasons Visa-Free for 15 Days

By Keiichiro Azumaand Daisuke Kawase / Yomiuri Shimbun Correspondents

14:59 JST, November 22, 2024

BEIJING — Japanese nationals will be allowed to make short visits to China without visas, China’s foreign ministry announced on Friday. The visa waiver is set to be in place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 31, 2025.

The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping is making final arrangements for the resumption of short-term visa exemptions, according to sources close to the Chinese government.

The move is believed to be in response to Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s meeting with Xi in Lima on Nov. 15, in which the two reaffirmed their commitment to promoting “mutually beneficial relations based on common strategic interests.”

The Chinese government is said to have informed several major Chinese travel agencies of the resumption in advance.

China had granted short-term exemptions to people from Japan, Brunei and Singapore for sightseeing and business purposes for up to 15 days until March 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faced with economic stagnation, China has granted visa waivers to about 30 countries, mainly in Europe and Southeast Asia, since last year to encourage foreign travel to China. However, China did not extend the measure to Japan.

As many Japanese companies doing business in China have requested visa-free travel for business purposes, the Japanese government has repeatedly asked China to resume visa exemptions as soon as possible.

China, aware of negative public sentiment toward Japan, insisted on “reciprocity” and demanded that Japan make concessions on visas for Chinese nationals visiting Japan.

Although Japan does not plan to accept China’s request for visa exemption, it is making arrangements for Chinese citizens to be able to apply for visas through a simplified process.

Local governments in China, eager to attract Japanese investment, have also called for the resumption of visa-free travel to China for Japanese citizens. The Chinese government is believed to have concluded that the resumption would be in its economic interest.

The Xi administration views Ishiba as a moderate political leader toward China compared to former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who rapidly advanced the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. alliance.

China appears to be trying to win over Japan amid growing concerns that U.S.-China relations could deteriorate further under the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.