China is making it easier for Americans to visit, but where is the big uptick?

Even as the US lowers travel warning for mainland and China loosens visa rules, exchanges are at risk

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A Chinese police officer helps an American visitor fill in an entry registration card, at the Beijing Capital International Airport in July. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 11:00am, 23 Dec 2024

A year ago in Woodside, California, the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies met and agreed to improve “people-to-people” exchanges. During the summit with US President Joe Biden, Chinese leader Xi Jinping said the country was ready to receive 50,000 young Americans over the next five years.

Since then, China has made it easier for Americans to visit. This includes faster, simpler and cheaper visa processing, especially for students, as well as discounted flights on national carriers. China’s consulates around the United States, along with China-based institutions, have mobilised to facilitate the movement of people and meet the high-level targets set.

There have already been some dividends. One year on, Beijing says that about 14,000 young Americans have made it to mainland China. Overall numbers of American visitors are not available, but all indications point to an improvement since the downturn experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic, though they remain a fraction of 2019 figures.

Beijing’s eagerness to increase the number of tourists and students to boost the Chinese economy and have people “see the country for themselves” has also contributed to a lowering of the US’ travel warning for mainland China.

In November, China released a handful of American detainees and Uygurs as part of a deal to get the warning lowered from “reconsider travel” to simply “exercise increased caution”. There are no longer Americans “wrongfully detained” in China, according to the White House’s National Security Council, though it notes that Americans may still be subject to exit bans.

02:15

Washington lowers travel warning for China as 3 jailed Americans freed by Beijing

Earlier this month, China announced an expansion of its visa-free transit policy, which allows Americans and citizens from a few dozen other countries to stay in certain Chinese cities for a limited period without a visa while transiting to a third destination.