China opens its doors wider: Visa-free entry now extended to 75 countries |
The policy, effective July 2025, marks the largest expansion of visa-free access in history. However, India and Pakistan are not included in the visa-free list.
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NEW DELHI, July 9: In a landmark move to boost tourism and global engagement,
China has extended its visa-free entry policy to cover travellers from 75 countries.
Citizens from these countries can now stay in China for up to 30 days without
a visa.
The policy, effective July 2025, marks the largest expansion of visa-free access
in the nation's history. However, India and Pakistan are not included in the
visa-free list.
The Chinese Government has been steadily expanding visa-free entry over the
last few years to get back to the pre-covid level and further.
The relaxation is meant to boost inbound tourism and stimulate economy. “This
really helps people to travel because it is such a hassle to apply for a visa,”
a tourist told AP. Travel agencies are flush with orders for air tickets and
hotel bookings.
Post-covid rebound
In 2024 over 20 million travellers entered China without a visa, more than
doubling previous year’s figures. In Beijing, 840,000 of 1.49 million foreign
entries were visa-free.
Shanghai alone saw 2.6 million overseas visits in the first half of 2025, with
45% arriving visa-free. Travel companies report a 50% increase in bookings,
with European tourists now making up 20% of clientele.
There were 31.9 million travellers in 2019. Borders were closed during the
epidemic. Post-covid, in 2023, the inbound traffic recovered to only 13.8 million.
That year it launched the visa-free system and citizens of France, Germany,
Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia were offered the free entry. Gradually
the list grew and on July 16 Azerbaijan will become the 75th country to enjoy
that stat us.
The US, Canada and the UK are not included in the new policy of 30-day stay.
In Europe, Sweden is the only country excluded from the benefit.
About two-thirds of the countries have also been granted visa-free entry on
a one-year trial basis.
Who’s eligible?
The list includes: Europe: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, etc.
Asia: Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Uzbekistan; Latin America: Argentina,
Brazil, Chile, Peru, Uruguay Middle East: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia
Azerbaijan joins on July 16, bringing the total to 75.
The overstay penalties are fines, deportation, future bans.
Top tourist destinations in China:
China is bursting with iconic landmarks, natural wonders, and cultural gems.
Here’s a curated list of top destinations that showcase the country’s diversity
and grandeur:
- The Great Wall of China: Stretches over 21,000 km across northern China,
Best sections for tourists: Badaling, Mutianyu, and Jinshanling, Offers hiking,
cable cars, and even night tours in summer
- Beijing: Capital city rich in imperial history, Must-sees: Forbidden City,
Temple of Heaven, Summer Palace, Explore traditional hutongs and savor Peking
Duck
- Xi’an: Ancient capital and starting point of the Silk Road. Home to the
Terracotta Army and Ancient City Wall; Muslim Quarter offers vibrant street
food and culture
- Chengdu: Famous for giant pandas at the Panda Breeding Centre, Gateway to
Mount Emei and Leshan Giant Buddha, Try spicy Sichuan cuisine and watch face-changing
opera
- Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: Inspiration for the floating mountains
in Avatar; Features towering sandstone pillars and glass skywalks; Located
in Hunan Province
- Guilin & Yangshuo: Known for karst landscapes and the Li River cruise; Bamboo
rafting, cycling, and cave exploration; Ideal for nature lovers and photographers
- Shanghai: China’s modern metropolis with colonial charm; Visit The Bund,
Yu Garden, and Shanghai Tower; Explore nearby Suzhou and Hangzhou via bullet
train
- Tibet: Spiritual heartland with Potala Palace and Yamdrok Lake; Trek to
Everest Base Camp or camp with nomadic families; Rich in Buddhist culture
and dramatic landscapes
- Jiuzhaigou Valley: UNESCO World Heritage site in Sichuan; Famous for multi-colored
lakes, waterfalls, and alpine forests, Best visited in autumn for vibrant
foliage
- 10. Lijiang & Dali (Yunnan Province): Ancient towns with cobbled streets
and canals, Gateway to Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain,
Blend of Naxi culture and stunning scenery
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SELECTIONS FROM OUR ARCHIVES |
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Top Govt officer thrashed, kicked inside Bhubaneswar office: Incident sparks a debate
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The incident has triggered a debate on social media whether the officer refused to take orders from a party leader or he was accused of any corruption, some netizens justifying the handling in either case, that Ratnakar was blocking public welfare work! It is true the Govt machinery has been the enemy Number One of the people of this country, existing for itself and for these politicians, for well over seven decades. India will never make an inch of progress - real progress, not make-believe-progress - unless and until this machinery is eliminated.
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UK's House of Commons votes to legalise assisted dying: What it means | |
ANALYSIS: There have been cases of Britons going to Switzerland to get rid of a miserable life. Now once the House of Lords also passes the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill, terminally ill Britons can call it quits with the help of a medical practitioner here itself. But the measure when comes into practice, will have very serious social consequences, it is feared. There won't be comparisons, even as tropes in Latin American folklores. The worst case scenario is of those who are not terminally ill also trying to misuse the provision to leave this world early when life with dignity is not available. But that is, in fact, a political question and not a moral imbroglio!
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What caused Air India Boeing 787 crash? Some questions, some answers | |
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Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line brings Kashmir Valley on India's rail map |
- The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla line provides Kashmir with all-weather connectivity and integrates the Valley with the rest of India.
- The saying 'Kashmir to Kanyakumari' is now a dream come true.
- The Chenab bridge on the line, an engineering marvel, is the world's highest
railway bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower. (Video: File)
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Work done, Elon Musk steps down from DOGE, leaves White House | |
Musk wrote: "My scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end... The @DOGE mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government." Now on it will be on auto-pilot.
PROGNOSIS: DOGE was prematurely born to protect the country by aborting an impending socio-economic disaster which very few people could see coming.
Although its immediate job was to save American taxpayers billions by slashing waste, eliminating fraud, cutting Government bloat and ensuring utmost efficiency in administration for the good of the people.
(Today's headlines )
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Ailing Asiatic lion Pataudi too dies of bird flu at Kanpur zoo
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Originally from Junagadh, Gujarat, Pataudi was relocated to Etawah Lion Safari in September 2019 before being transferred to Gorakhpur Zoo in 2021. Recently it was receiving treatment for pancreatic and liver infections. After tigress Shakti died in the zoo on May 7 due to bird flu, Pataudi was shifted to Kanpur. Some birds are also reported to have died mysteriously around Gorakhpur. All zoos in UP are closed for fear of a bird flu outbreak.
Three other animals too had died - a tiger, a leopardess and a female wolf. Wolf Bhairavi died last Saturday, leopardess Mona died the Thursday before that and tiger Kesari died on March 30. Some of them had Shakti's symptoms but the cause of death has not been confirmed yet.
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48 tourist destinations closed in Kashmir following Pahalgam terror attack
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As tourist inflow is an indicator of normalcy returning to an erstwhile terrorist infested Valley, the Government has been trying hard to make everything travel-friendly, launching lot many projects and bringing Kashmir on the national rail map that physically completes the process of Kashmir's integration with the rest of India. And that defeats the designs of Pakistan eyeing Kashmir and simply explains a recrudescence of terrorism in J&K.
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Trump slaps ‘kind’, ‘reciprocal’ tariffs on trading partners; a 'lenient' 26% on India!
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ANALYSIS: There is a lot of hue and cry around the world over Trump's tariffs. But tariff, simply put, is a tax. But unlike tax, it affects the exporting country too. Domestic prices will go up for some time. Nothing more will happen, good or bad!
What motivated Trump's newfound policy, apart from being a stunt to justify his existence in the White House, is a false realisation that increased tariff will make foreign goods prohibitive, thereby boosting local production, and create more jobs, and more prosperity will ring in! If that is true, India would have been shining by now: Producing own Rolls-Royce La Rose Noire Droptail and Scotch Whiskies! And what about coconut and palm oil by America!
(Today's headlines )
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Trump signs order to shut Education Dept - And the contrast with India
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PROGNOSIS: It looks a Real New Trump is emerging - courageous, balanced, powerful and disinterested. Determined to save his country from the cliff, he has done quite a few draconian things that will reduce the burden of debts of the Federal entity, like the golden handshake, stopping senseless funding, pulling out of a worthless WHO. Shutting the Education Department is another. On the other hand, running it is also not the Centre's job either (We will convincingly elaborate it in the next chapter).
In India the scene is just the opposite. Centralisation is the core agenda and identity of the ruling dispensation without which it has no existence, or in other words, it exists for that set of schemes only. A realisation of this never dawned upon any Opposition party in 2014 or any time thereafter, what to talk of being able to see it coming 70 years ago! The consequence of all this violation of basic natural law of the universe we cannot predict.
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Sunita, Wilmore's Dragon splashes down in Gulf: What delayed their return? |
THE AMERICAN CONUNDRUM: Political venom has migrated to top echelons in the US. It was reported last year NASA has become politicised, vitiated. But NASA refuted the charge. How Boeing developed a glitch but its unmanned return was smooth. When Suni-Wilmore were stranded last June, why the return was set for February? Because that comes only after January 20! SpaceX called the shots, for itself and for Trump. Then the mission was manipulated for March for a better bargain! In between, what made Elon Musk 'predict' during campaign if Kamala Harris wins he would be in jail. In politics, it is said, "the only rule is there are no rules." Difficult times for Americans too.
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All 80k health workers in US offered $25,000 voluntary buyout: Administering wrong prescriptions!
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The terminations are part of a large-scale exercise going on all across Fed departments and organisations to reduce wasteful Government expenditure as decided by a Trump in a mess gone berserk, and improve administrative efficiency following the whims of billionaire and his associate Elon MusK and his DOGE. It has not been shared how terminations are going to raise the efficiency bar! It looks like Trump has stolen some of the prescriptions meant for India. But the American problems are quite different.
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