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Canadian passport holders can apply from Tuesday to They will be able to travel to China without a visa until the end of 2026, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman announced on Sunday — marking another step forward in Canada’s relationship with the Chinese government.
In his statement Chinese Ministry websiteCanadian passport holders will be visa-free to enter China and stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, family/friend visit, exchange and transit purposes, the spokesperson said.
“The policy will be effective until December 31, 2026,” said the spokesperson. The policy also applies to UK passport holders.
External Affairs Minister Anita Anand He confirmed the policy on social media He said the change would “facilitate travel, support trade and strengthen people-to-people ties between our countries.”
The idea of Canada’s visa-free travel to China was first mentioned in January after Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Beijing and met with President Xi Jinping.
After years of strained relations, Prime Minister Mark Carney has met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing. Carney hailed a tentative agreement with China for greater cooperation on clean and conventional energy, but the Canada-China tariff dispute remains unresolved.
A A statement from Carney’s office At the time, the prime minister “welcomed the president’s commitment to introduce visa-free travel for Canadians traveling to China.”
That visit finally led Canada has reached an agreement with the Chinese government Allowing tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada to pay tariffs on Canadian agricultural products like canola seed.
For most Canadian tourists, entering China currently requires a lengthy application process and a fee of about $140. China has relaxed visa requirements for other Western countries in recent years as it tries to boost tourism in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Beijing has held visas for Canadians and limited how many Chinese tour groups can visit Canada in a years-long diplomatic dispute.