China to Resume Visa-free Entry for Singapore&Brunei citizens

Visas that have been issued to Singapore citizens are still valid. PHOTO: ST FILE

Visa-free entry to China will be available for citizens of Singapore and Brunei with ordinary passports travelling for business, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends, and in transit, the embassies said in notices on their websites.

Visas which have been issued to Singaporean and Bruneian citizens before 26th July 2023 are still valid. The ongoing visa applications that have been lodged before will continue to be processed normally.

Welcoming the announcement on Sunday, Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a Facebook post that the visa-free arrangement will facilitate people and business flows between Singapore and China, and pave the way for deeper bilateral cooperation.

"This will facilitate people and business flows between our countries and pave the way for deeper bilateral cooperation, especially following the upgrade in Singapore-China relations to an All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership earlier this year during PM Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Beijing," the ministry said.

Singapore Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China chairman Ong Tze Guan said the resumption of the visa-free facility for Singaporeans will have a positive impact by making it easier for tourists, enterprises and youth to travel to China for tourism, business, and cultural and study exchanges.

“This will boost ties between the two countries and provide more opportunities for Singaporeans to explore and engage with China,” said the Beijing-based businessman.

International travellers to China will also be able to navigate in a largely cashless country with greater ease, after Tencent’s WeChat Pay, one of two major mobile payment providers, last week allowed visitors to link their foreign credit cards to its platform.

The other big mobile payment player, Alibaba’s Alipay, also allows for credit cards to be linked to its digital wallet.

The move by both companies is aimed at facilitating an influx of tourists and visitors as the country gears up for the Chengdu World University Games starting on Friday, and the Hangzhou Asian Games opening on Sept 23.

During Mr Lee's six-day visit which began in late March, he said that with the upgrade in relations between Singapore and China, both countries were going to “take the next step forward”.

He said then that Singapore was in the process of restoring both civil aviation services and connectivity back to where they were pre-Covid.

China has also been seeking visa-free travel for its citizens to Singapore.

Source(s): Xinhua;CGTN; Reuters, https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/china-resume-15-day-visa-free-entry-singapore-brunei-citizens-2023-07-23/; https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/china-to-resume-15-day-visa-free-entry-for-singaporeans-from-july-26; https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/china-resume-15-day-visa-free-entry-singapore-brunei-citizens-2217176

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