Beijing huanying ni
Beijing just extended an olive branch to the EU.
On Friday, the foreign ministry announced it is offering unreciprocated visa-free travel for citizens from Germany, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, starting December 2023.
- Travelers from these countries will be allowed to visit China for 15 days annually without a visa.
Some context: The five countries are the EU's political core and economic engine, accounting for 62% of the bloc’s population and 68% of GDP.
- They are also central to EU-China people-to-people exchanges, home to big Chinese diasporas, and account for much of EU foreign direct investment (FDI) in China.
More context: Previously, China has only offered unreciprocated 15-day visa-free travel to citizens of Singapore and Brunei.
- Citizens from 54 other countries are permitted visa-free transit, but with a maximum duration of just 144 hours.
Get smart: Beijing's plan to facilitate business travel and restart people-to-people exchanges is the latest sign it wants to ease bilateral tensions amid growing EU assertiveness.
- Unveiling this policy during French Foreign Minister Colonna's visit to Beijing makes that abundantly clear.
Get smarter: This will do little to change the EU's perception of China as a systemic rival.