China confirms visa-free access for Canada, UK visitors from Feb 17
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The visa-free policy will be in effect until Dec 31.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BEIJING – China has confirmed that Canadian and British citizens will be able to visit the country visa-free from Feb 17, after the two countries’ leaders had announced such agreements following official trips to Beijing.
British and Canadian prime ministers Keir Starmer and Mark Carney both visited Beijing in January, seeking to bolster relations with China and pivot from the increasingly mercurial United States
Both leaders had hailed progress following meetings with top Chinese leaders such as President Xi Jinping, including on issues like visa-free access for their citizens to China
Beijing’s foreign ministry confirmed these agreements on Feb 15, saying Canadian and British citizens can travel to China visa-free from Feb 17, with the policy in effect until Dec 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,” it said in a statement.
This was to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries”, it added. AFP
