Under a new policy announced Sunday, China visa-free entry to Canadians and British nationals will take effect on Feb. 17, allowing travelers to visit mainland China for up to 30 days without a visa. The program will apply to tourism, business trips, and visits to family and friends, and is set to run through Dec. 31.
China’s Foreign Ministry said the initiative aims to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries,” signaling a thaw in travel rules at a time when global mobility remains tangled in geopolitics.
Policy Follows High-Level Talks
The announcement comes on the heels of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s official visit to China in January, where he met with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the trip, the two leaders agreed to relax travel rules — a move framed as an effort to unlock business opportunities and deepen cooperation.
Starmer said British companies had been “crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China,” portraying the visa waiver as a bridge for commerce and cultural exchange.
