Today, the National Immigration Administration (NIA) announced a visa-free policy for tourist groups from ASEAN countries visiting Xishuangbanna in Yunnan. Specifically, tourist groups of two or more ordinary passport holders from ten ASEAN countries—including Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia—can enter and exit China visa-free through Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan Railway Port, and Mohan Highway Port. These groups must be organized by travel agencies in China and may stay for a maximum of six days, with travel limited to the administrative region of Xishuangbanna Prefecture in Yunnan Province.
According to an NIA official, this policy marks a significant step towards enhancing autonomous opening-up and supporting Yunnan's development as the Chinese pivot of opening-up to south and southeast Asia. It is of great importance to advancing the tourism industry in southwest China, promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries, and deepening the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership. In the next phase, the NIA will enhance institutional opening-up in immigration management to attract more foreign nationals travelling and doing business in China, continuously infusing new vitality into the inbound tourism market and contributing to China's high-level opening-up and high-quality development.
Source:ShenzhenForeignAffairs