China offers visa-free entry to 9 more countries as part of tourism resumption and diplomatic offensive

People from nine more countries, including South Korea, Norway, Finland and Slovakia, will receive visa-free entry to China from Friday as Beijing tries to attract more tourists and improve international ties.

From November 8, citizens of these countries, which also include Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco and Liechtenstein, will be allowed to enter China for business, tourism, visiting family or transit for up to 15 days without a visa, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said. . The cases were reported Friday.

02:27

China expands visa-free regime to 6 new countries

The announcement followed President Xi Jinping’s meeting with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico in Beijing on Friday.

According to the ministry, Fico said Slovakia welcomes Chinese investment in its clean energy sector and is “ready join Friends of the World“, a group led by China and Brazil to find a political settlement war in Ukraine.

Fico’s trip came just days after the European Commission, which oversees trade policy for the European Union, decided introduce tariffs on Chinese-made electric cars. Slovakia was one of five EU countries that opposed the tariffs, counting on Chinese investment in building a plant to produce batteries for electric vehicles.

Announcing the upgrade of ties with Slovakia to a higher level on Friday, Xi said Beijing attaches great importance to China-EU relations.

“Relations between China and the EU must demonstrate proper maturity and stability,” state news agency Xinhua quoted Xi as saying.