China resumes visa issuance

This is a new step towards a return to normal wanted by Beijing. China will relaunch from Wednesday March 15 the issuance of almost all visas for foreigners, after a long period of restriction due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The announcement was made Monday, March 13, by the Chinese Embassy in Washington.

In addition, visas issued by Beijing before March 28, 2020 and which have not yet expired will regain their validity and once again offer their holders the option of entering China, the embassy said in a press release.

China will also restore the possibilities of certain visa-free entries, including those to the tourist island of Hainan or those allowed to cruise passengers calling at Shanghai.

A hard-hit economy

After closing its borders in March 2020 and three years of some of the most draconian restrictions in the world that hit its economy hard and eventually sparked protests across the country, China abruptly lifted most of its measures last December. to fight the pandemic.

Then, in January, the Chinese authorities lifted the mandatory quarantine for travelers from abroad, one of the most emblematic measures of the government’s zero Covid strategy.