Efforts boost people-to-people exchanges, defy protectionism
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Overall, after the visa-free policies took effect on Thursday, some routes between China and those of European countries have shown a growth trend and the number of flights between China and Europe is increasing slightly, according to aviation information provider VariFlight.
“This may indicate that the visa-free policy will promote tourism and business exchanges between the two sides and further strengthen ties between China and Europe,” according to VariFlight.
In December 2023, China also waived visa requirements for citizens from six countries, including five European nations such as France and Germany.
Openness, confidence
The measures aimed at boosting inbound travel and people-to-people exchanges are just part of China’s continuous, comprehensive opening-up drive, which reflects the country’s openness and confidence, even when many countries are turning inward, experts said.
“These visa-free policies are actually a manifestation of China’s attitude that we are encouraging people-to-people exchange, supporting economic globalization and against trade protectionism,” said Bian Yongzu, a senior researcher with the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at the Renmin University of China.
The US, in particular, has been seeing a surge of xenophobia and protectionism and has actually taken a litany of measures that disrupt global economic cooperation. Washington has been seeking a decoupling between China and the US by cracking down on Chinese firms, and treating Chinese students unfairly at the ports of entry. In contrast, China, even as it faces an increasingly complex external environment, has been opening up its economy and advocating for an open world economy.
China’s continued openingup, particularly institutional opening-up, will not only make it more convenient for foreign businesses and investments to enter China, but will also boost their confidence and sense of certainty about China’s economic development, experts said.