The nation said it will start re-issuing all categories of visas to foreigners from Wednesday, dropping the final cross-border control measure it imposed three years ago to guard against the spread of Covid-19.

The move, which comes after authorities last month declared victory over a recent surge in the virus, is expected to help rekindle a US$17 trillion economy that has seen one of its slowest rates of growth in nearly half a century last year.

Areas in the nation that required no visas prior to the pandemic will revert to visa-free entry, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday. This will include the southern tourist island of Hainan and cruise ships passing through Shanghai port.

Visa-free entry for certain tourist groups from Hong Kong, Macau and countries within the Asean regional grouping to the southern manufacturing hub of Guangdong will also be resumed.

The ministry also said foreigners holding visas issued before March 28, 2020 that are still within their validity dates will also be able to enter the mainland.

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Beijing is ready to make "optimised arrangements" for tourists entering the country.

In 2022, just 115.7 million cross-border trips were made in and out of the country, with foreigners accounting for around 4.5 million.

By contrast, the nation logged 670 million overall trips in 2019 before the arrival of Covid, with foreigners accounting for 97.7 million.

New Premier Li Qiang said on Monday that the nation took less than two months to achieve a "smooth transition" in its response to Covid-19 and that the country's strategies and measures had been “completely correct”. (Reuters)
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Last updated: 2023-03-14 HKT 16:03