China’s Foreign Ministry has announced the resumption of its 15-day visa-free entry policy for citizens of Singapore and Brunei holding ordinary passports. The policy, which covers purposes such as business, tourism, sightseeing, visiting relatives and friends, and transit, will take effect from Wednesday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning expressed the hope that this move will lead to increased convenience for personnel exchanges between China, Singapore, and Brunei. The Chinese Embassy in Singapore confirmed that previously issued visas to Singaporean citizens remain valid, and pending visa applications will be processed normally.
Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed the announcement, stating that the visa-free arrangement will facilitate people and business flow between the countries, fostering deeper bilateral cooperation. This development comes after an upgrade in Singapore-China relations to an All-Round High-Quality Future-Oriented Partnership earlier in the year.
The resumption of the visa-free policy marks a return to normalcy in China’s pandemic protection measures and signifies a reopening of international exchanges. Xu Liping, director of the Center for Southeast Asian Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes this will help boost economic trade with Singapore and Brunei.
The timely reinstatement of the visa-free policy demonstrates China’s goodwill and commitment to strengthening cooperation with Singapore and Brunei, according to Xu. As work and production resume post-pandemic, experts predict that China and more ASEAN members may achieve visa-free travel in the near future.