Beijing has relaxed visa rules for tourists from 50 countries, including all G7 members except the US, and 25 of the 27 EU member states, granting 30-day visa-free entry. Additionally, a 240-hour visa-free transit policy now covers 55 countries, including the US, allowing eligible travellers to spend up to 10 days in parts of China while en route to a third destination. This shift has dramatically increased foreign arrivals.
Surge in Foreign Arrivals
In the first half of 2026, entries and exits across China’s borders reached a historic high, with foreign national arrivals rising by 20.6% from a year earlier. Notably, 17.8 million people entered without a visa, accounting for 77.7% of total foreign arrivals. This resurgence is visible both on the streets of Beijing, where tourists are again seen near the Forbidden City and in cafes, and online, with YouTube videos titled “China Shocked Me” gaining popularity.
Economic and Political Rationale
The policy has a clear economic rationale: domestic consumption is under pressure, and inbound tourism provides a welcome boost. However, the scale and political significance go beyond economics. This is not simply a tourism campaign but a new form of opening up, especially striking amid a global retreat from cross-border openness. Beijing is making short-term visits easier, even for citizens of countries with political or security tensions, without demanding reciprocity. Countries like the UK and Japan still require visas from Chinese travellers, but their citizens can visit China visa-free.
According to Zichen Wang, deputy secretary-general at the Center for China and Globalization, the wager is straightforward: let visitors encounter a China more complex than geopolitical headlines suggest – high-speed trains, mobile payments, and ordinary people – and hope that a week-long visit may not erase political disagreements but will leave tourists with a more informed view.
Shifting Global Perceptions
The visa-free expansion coincides with a broader shift in international opinion. A Pew Research Center survey published this week found that China is now viewed more favourably than the US in most of the 36 countries surveyed, reflecting improving perceptions of China and worsening views of the US. This new approach relies less on institutional gatekeepers like media and thinktanks, instead allowing individuals – including travellers from Four Eyes intelligence alliance members – to see the country for themselves.
Domestic Adjustments and Limits
The influx of visitors is reshaping China’s domestic environment. Public security authorities have ordered hotels to stop refusing foreign guests by claiming they lack qualifications, and payment platforms have made it easier for overseas users to pay through Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal. These changes are removing stubborn practical obstacles.
However, this more open approach has clear limits. Beijing is making it easier to visit but not to work, settle, or belong. Barriers to residence, employment, and information remain intact. When China introduced a K visa for overseas graduates in science and technology, it prompted a public backlash over job competition and alleged preferential treatment. The linguistic and cultural barriers, internet restrictions, and limited welfare and schooling access further reduce China’s attractiveness to long-term foreign workers. The old expat community of Americans and Europeans has not recovered to pre-pandemic scale due to trade frictions and corporate localisation.
Conclusion
While the visa-free experiment will not resolve strategic rivalry or disputes over trade, technology, and security, Beijing has chosen to lower barriers in one important domain. China is no longer simply trying to explain itself better; it is becoming more willing to be seen. As Zichen Wang and co-writer Hao Wu note, this marks a confident break with past diplomatic habits.
