China will extend its visa-free entry policy for 45 countries including France, Germany and Spain to 31 December, 2026 and expand the scheme to cover Sweden, effective 10 November, the foreign ministry said on Monday.
The extension covers 32 European countries as well as Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and several nations in South America and the Gulf region, a statement released by the foreign ministry's consular affairs department showed.
The policy was scheduled to expire at the end of this year for many of the countries.
China has offered visa-free entry to citizens from dozens of countries in recent years as part of efforts to woo foreign visitors, revive a tourism sector battered by years of strict COVID-19 controls, and boost foreign engagement.
The United States, Canada and Britain are not part of the scheme.
Under it, visitors from eligible countries can enter China for business, tourism, family visits, or transit for up to 30 days without a visa.
China is also expanding its outreach to the European Union, a key trading partner, at a time of fraught trade ties.
Beijing confirmed that its one-year suspension of expanded rare earth export controls, announced after a meeting between President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump in South Korea last week, will also apply to the European Union, the bloc said after officials met in Brussels last week to alleviate tensions.
The two sides agreed to continue communication and exchanges to promote the stability and smooth operation of China-EU industrial and supply chains, Beijing's commerce ministry said on Monday.
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Australia booked its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after a tense goalless draw with Paraguay. Already-eliminated Türkiye ended its cam...
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U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on imports from any country that adopts a digital services tax. The move escalated tensions with trading partners over levies that Washington argues unfairly target American technology companies.
Australia booked its place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 after a tense goalless draw with Paraguay. Already-eliminated Türkiye ended its campaign on a high with a dramatic 3-2 win over group winners the United States.
The United States has seized nearly 400 internet domains accused of illegally streaming World Cup matches, in what officials described as a major effort to disrupt international piracy networks profiting from the tournament’s global popularity.
Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, widening a years-long rupture with its former colonial ruler and marking the latest diplomatic break between France and military-led governments in the Sahel.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Washington and Tehran accuse each other of breaching last week’s ceasefire as tensions rise around the key shipping route.
Rescue teams and residents in Venezuela are continuing to search for survivors after twin earthquakes killed more than 900 people and left thousands injured.
Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, widening a years-long rupture with its former colonial ruler and marking the latest diplomatic break between France and military-led governments in the Sahel.
Sweden discriminated against vulnerable European Union migrants, many of them from the Roma community, by denying them equal access to healthcare, the European Committee of Social Rights has ruled.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on imports from any country that adopts a digital services tax. The move escalated tensions with trading partners over levies that Washington argues unfairly target American technology companies.
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