November 25, 2024

The Chinese government has announced the restart of visa-free entry for short-term visits from Japan, extending the stay duration to 30 days. This news has sparked strong reactions in Japan. Within just half an hour of the policy's release on Friday, searches for Chinese destinations on the overseas platforms of Ctrip, one of China's largest online travel agencies, surged by 65 percent on European sites and 112 percent on Japanese sites. In particular, the popularity of direct flights from various Japanese cities to China skyrocketed. This highlights the huge underlying demand for mutual engagement and communication between China and Japan and aligns with the new Japanese government's expectation of improving relations with China. 

Visa policies are viewed as a barometer of the political relations between two countries, reflecting their warmth or strain. Recent communication between the leaders of China and Japan has played a pivotal role in creating a more favorable atmosphere between China and Japan. On November 15, during the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in Lima, Peru, President Xi Jinping met with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and emphasized the need to deepen and expand people-to-people, cultural and sub-national exchanges, promoting mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, especially the younger generation.

The resumption of visa-free entry reflects China's goodwill in concrete actions. On the evening the policy was announced, Ishiba responded by stressing that the most important foundation for Japan-China relations in the future lies in the exchanges between the people of the two countries. This demonstrates a shared willingness to enhance people-to-people exchanges to build political trust and create a new starting point for improving and developing bilateral relations. 

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https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202411/1323714.shtml