China to reopen borders to all foreign visitors

The Great Wall of Jinshan Mountains (Photo courtesy of Unsplash)

VOA News

China said it will resume issuing visas of all types and reopen its borders to foreign tourists starting March 14, ending the three-year ban imposed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government said Tuesday that visa-free entry will resume for such destinations as Hainan Island, as well as cruise ships entering the central port city of Shanghai, neither of which had any visa requirements before the pandemic.

Foreigners who were issued visas before March 28, 2020, when Beijing closed its borders to most overseas visitors, will be allowed to use them to enter the country as long as they have not expired.

Visa-free entry will also resume for foreigners from Hong Kong and the gambling enclave of Macau to enter the southern province of Guangdong.

Beijing abruptly ended the strict “zero-COVID” strategy last December first imposed at the start of the pandemic.

The policy included swift and severe lockdowns, quarantines and mass testing in several cities with a significant COVID-19 outbreak.

It triggered unusual and intense public protests across many Chinese cities and an economic downturn due to factory shutdowns. – gb

Popular

PBBM underscores public cooperation as key to better disaster response

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. reiterated his call on the citizenry to remain on constant alert and exercise vigilant measures at...

PBBM lauds eGov app’s impact on Filipinos, hints at upcoming features

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. recognized the indispensable role of the eGov app in fast-tracking and streamlining the digitalization of government transactions and services,...

What’s next for the Marcos admin? Key agencies tackle food security, economic dev’t post-SONA 2025

https://www.youtube.com/live/hXRnysWZ6SM?si=GGc-0MxxrP1SXsvE By Brian Campued President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has reported the situation of the country—along with his administration’s progress, gains, and challenges in the past...

PBBM lauds improvements in PH labor market

By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. praised the wide-ranging achievements made by his administration on bolstering the country’s domestic labor market over...