BEIJING — China has officially confirmed that citizens of Canada and the United Kingdom will be granted visa-free entry starting Tuesday, February 17, following announcements by their leaders after recent visits to Beijing.
The policy, verified by China's Foreign Ministry on Sunday, allows holders of ordinary passports from these countries to enter China without a visa for purposes including business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges, or transit, for stays not exceeding 30 days. It will remain in effect until December 31.
"Holders of ordinary passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges, or transit for a period not exceeding 30 days," the ministry stated.
The confirmation comes after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing in January. Both leaders met with top Chinese officials, including President Xi Jinping, and hailed progress on various issues, including visa-free access for their citizens.
Starmer and Carney sought to strengthen bilateral relations with China amid efforts to pivot away from the increasingly mercurial United States, according to reports from their official trips.
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian addressed the media during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing on January 5, gesturing as he spoke, in an image captured by EPA-Yonhap.
This move is expected to facilitate easier travel and exchanges between China and the two nations, building on the diplomatic momentum established during the prime ministers' visits.
