The only Southeast Asian country to be visa-free to China.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on November 24 that the country will waive visa requirements for citizens of France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia if they come for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, or transit for less than 15 days.

According to Reuters, China has implemented various policies over the past few months to revive its tourism industry, which has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The government implemented strict measures for three years, resulting in most of the country's borders being closed to the outside world.

For this reason, the Beijing government is seeking to re-establish its image with the world.

In early November 2023, China expanded its transit visa-free policy to 54 countries, including citizens from Norway.

In August 2023, China abolished the COVID-19 testing requirement for domestic travelers. Prior to that, in July, the country had also reinstated a 15-day visa-free entry policy for citizens of Singapore and Brunei.