China said Monday it will extend its visa-free arrangement for short-term Japanese visitors until the end of 2026 to further facilitate personnel exchanges, following a recent agreement between the two countries’ leaders to promote “strategic and mutually beneficial” ties.
The preferential arrangement, which allows Japanese nationals to stay in China for up to 30 days without a visa, was originally set to remain in effect through the end of 2025.
Beijing announced similar extensions of its visa-free arrangements for citizens of about 40 other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, South Korea and Brazil.
During his first meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in South Korea last week, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for expanding bilateral people-to-people exchanges to improve public sentiment.
China resumed its visa-free arrangement for short-term Japanese visitors in November last year after suspending the scheme in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.