Thursday, July 17, 2025

Under its ambitious 2025 Global Mobility Initiative, China has formally opened up its borders to citizens from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, and Kuwait, offering them unilateral visa-free entry. This significant policy shift is intended to increase inbound tourism, facilitate diplomatic and trade ties, and make China a more convenient global destination. By widening visa-free travel to other countries of South America and the Middle East, China is not only promoting more cultural and economic exchange but also affirming its pledge to international cooperation, travel liberalization, and global interconnectivity. This step highlights China’s strategic objective of becoming the hub of tourism, business, and diplomacy for the new world of post-pandemic globalization.

China cross-border travel and international tourism are enjoying a stunning recovery. In the first six months of 2025, more than 38 million foreigners journeyed in and out of China, a 30.2% rise from the corresponding months of 2024. Released by national authorities, the figures depict a clear recovery of travels to China from around the world, which was mainly powered by the country’s growing visa-free entry policies and eased borders.

Of the cumulative foreign arrivals, 13.64 million visitors entered China without a visa, which highlights the increasing influence of China’s liberal entry arrangements. This now accounts for over 70% of all foreign entries, up 53.9% year-on-year, and demonstrates China’s turn towards easy travel as a way to promote inbound tourism and interconnectivity globally.

The sharp increase in visa-free entries highlights a growing readiness among international travelers to visit China when entry procedures are simplified and red tape is reduced. These simplified pathways are also supporting the country’s broader goal of positioning itself as a more accessible, traveler-friendly destination.

Overall Border Movements Exceed 330 Million During the First Six Months of 2025
Alongside the sharp rise in foreign visitor numbers, China recorded a combined total of 333 million cross-border entries and exits across its ports of entry during the first half of 2025. This figure marks a 15.8% increase compared to last year, demonstrating both renewed outbound activity from Chinese residents and increased inbound travel from international and regional visitors.

Mainlanders took around 159 million of these journeys, a 15.9% increase

Arrivals from Taiwan, Macao, and Hong Kong totaled 136 million, a rise of 12.2%

The rebound indicates a steady normalization of international and regional mobility after years of restrictions and reduced travel.

China has furthered its well-liked 240-hour visa-free transit scheme, so eligible visitors can spend up to 10 days in the country without a visa. This program is offered from several major airports and borders, so China becomes a more appealing stopover or short-break spot.

Following the recent induction of Indonesia, the list of member nations of this program now stands at 55, with more flexibility provided to business travellers as well as tourists.

Recently, China launched a localized visa-free entrance policy exclusive for group tours from ASEAN member nations, which provides these travellers free entrance to the culturally rich and biodiverse area of Xishuangbanna, Yunnan province, without a regular visa.
This policy seeks to deepen regional tourism cooperation, most prominently with Southeast Asia, while increasing tourism traffic to China’s less-developed but scenic frontier areas.

China has even expanded its travel flexibility and diplomatic outreach further through fresh reciprocal visa exemption deals and unilateral visa-free regimes for other countries. These are meant to facilitate more two-way travel and deepen international ties.

A Central Asian country

A major partner of Southeast Asia

Strategic partner for the South Caucasus region

As part of a long-term strategy of expanding international cooperation and promoting inward travel, China recently issued visa-free entry—without reciprocal agreements—to visitors from nine new nations. These nine countries now benefit from streamlined entry to China, assisting tourism, diplomacy, and other ties.

Brazil
Argentina
Chile
Peru
Uruguay
Saudi Arabia
Oman
Bahrain
Kuwait

This growing list shows China’s aim of establishing multilateral tourism cooperation across South America, the Middle East, as well as Asia, and appealing to more people from emerging and developed markets.

To accommodate the growth in travel, immigration checkpoints across China have implemented enhanced service models, including the use of digital platforms, automated processing lanes, and multilingual assistance tools. These changes are designed to improve the traveler experience while ensuring efficiency and safety at borders.

Such improvements reflect a broader strategy to transform China’s immigration system into one that aligns with the expectations of global travelers, and to support future growth in leisure, business, and transit tourism.

Conclusion: China Reopens to the World with Fresh Vitality and International Vision The beginning of 2025 has provided unequivocal indications that China’s gateway to the world is now wide open again. With more than 38 million overseas visits, stunning surges in visa-free visits, and hundreds of millions of cumulative border crossings, the nation is rapidly regaining its status as a centre of world travel and exchange. Backed by innovative visa policies, expanded regional initiatives, and upgraded immigration services, China’s international travel strategy is proving both effective and forward-looking. As more agreements are signed and entry conditions continue to ease, China is expected to welcome even higher visitor numbers in the months to come, reinforcing its role in shaping the future of global tourism.