China to reopen borders to foreigners, but with short-term hurdles

By Joe Cash and Sophie Yu

BEIJING, March 14 (Reuters) – China will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in three years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing the issuance of visas of all categories from Wednesday.

The removal of this latest cross-border screening measure imposed to protect against COVID-19 comes after authorities declared victory over the coronavirus last month.

Tourism industry insiders don’t expect a massive influx of visitors anytime soon, or a significant boost to the economy. In 2019, international tourism receipts accounted for only 0.9% of China’s gross domestic product.

But the resumption of tourist visa issuance marks a broader push by Beijing to normalize travel between China and the world, after it withdrew its warning to citizens against overseas travel in January.

Regions of China that did not require visas before the pandemic will be visa-free again, China’s Foreign Ministry announced on Tuesday. This will include the southern resort island of Hainan, a longtime favorite destination for Russians, as well as cruise ships calling at the port of Shanghai.

Visa-free entry for foreigners from Hong Kong and Macau will also resume in China’s most prosperous province, Guangdong, a boon especially for luxury hotels popular with international business travelers.

But visitors may not flock immediately.

Unfavorable views of China among Western democracies have hardened amid human rights concerns and Beijing’s aggressive foreign policy, as well as suspicion surrounding its handling of COVID-19, a global poll has found. of the Chinese government in September at the Pew Research Center.

(Reporting by Bernard Orr, Wang Jing, Joe Cash, Sophie Yu, Brenda Goh, Li Qiaoyi and Ellen Zhang; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing in Spanish by Benjamín Mejías Valencia)