Latin Americans nations may enjoy Visa tree travel for up to 30 days
Aiming to support travel, trade, and education links, China has decided to extend visa-free entry to citizens of Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Peru, and Uruguay from June 1 this year.
In a press statement, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that holders of ordinary passports from the five countries may enter the country without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchange, or transit, for a period of up to 30 days.
It adds that this decision was introduced during the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, which was held in Beijing earlier this month. This initiative forms part of China’s broader effort to expand visa exemptions and support exchanges with Latin American and Caribbean countries.
As per news reports, nationals from the five countries currently residing in China welcomed the announcement. According to Tiva Bezerra, head of human resources at Brazilian pulp company Suzano Asia, this move is expected to benefit sectors beyond tourism.
“We envision it enabling more spontaneous technical exchanges, smoother executive visits and potentially making China assignments more attractive to Latin American professionals,” says Tiva Bezerra, Head of human resources, Suzano Asia.
The statement says that in addition to the visa announcement, the China-CELAC Forum has introduced other initiatives, including support for 300 local development projects, cooperation in vocational education, expansion of Chinese language education, and tourism dialogue.
According to the news report, in 2024, a direct route was launched between Mexico City and Shenzhen, which is currently the longest direct international passenger route from China. Other connecting routes now link China with cities in Brazil, Mexico and Cuba.
The statement notes that Chinese travel platform Ctrip reported increased interest in inbound tourism from the five countries. In 2024, inbound travel orders from Argentina rose by 168 pc while Brazil and Chile both saw increases of over 80 pc.
“We can expect the inbound tourism market to usher in a new, dynamic and reciprocal pattern in the near future,” says Qin Jing, Vice President, Ctrip.
Further, according to news reports, Chinese officials and academics say that this policy reflects the country’s aim to support economic globalisation and enhance cooperation with Latin America.
“These measures demonstrate China’s resolve and efforts to promote a more dynamic, inclusive and resilient form of economic globalisation,” says Yu Haibo, Associate Professor, Nankai University.
Meanwhile, reports say that trade between China and Latin America has doubled over the past ten years, reaching USD 518.4 billion in 2024. Goods such as electric vehicles are exported from China, while products like Chilean cherries and Argentine beef have become common in the Chinese market.
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