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The Chinese Foreign Ministry said yesterday that the country will expand visa-free travel agreement to more countries this year. The move is implemented to facilitate travel and tourism.So far, China has inked mutual visa exemption agreements covering different types of passports with 157 countries, reached agreements or arrangements on simplified visa procedures with 44 countries and enjoyed comprehensive mutual visa exemptions with 23 countries, including Thailand, Singapore, the Maldives and UAE, Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said on Wednesday.Countries that have signed mutual visa-free travel with ChinaOn Sunday, China and Thailand signed in Bangkok a mutual visa exemption agreement, which will come into effect on March 1. This move followed visa exemption agreements between China and some other Southeast Asian countries, which show China's commitment to expanding its openness.Days earlier, China and Singapore signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption, which will officially come into effect on February 9. Malaysia also exempted Chinese citizens from visa requirements.After the mutual visa exemption agreement was reached between China and Singapore and China and Thailand, the number of travel bookings for the Spring Festival made by Chinese visitors to Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand, as well as that by visitors from these three countries to China surged significantly year-on-year.The bookings of Chinese tourists for travel to these three countries during the upcoming Spring Festival holidays were up more than 15 times compared with 2023 on Chinese travel platform Trip.com as of Monday.Improving visa policies and facilitating cross-border travel is an important measure, through which the diplomatic service contributes to China's high-quality development and high-level opening-up, and this brings more opportunities for deepening friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and other countries, Wang said.
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