Speaking on 4–5 March during China’s annual ‘Two Sessions’, Wang Yu – chairman of Shanghai-based low-cost carrier Spring Airlines and a member of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) – called on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Immigration Administration to upgrade China’s fast-growing visa-free regime.
Wang noted that China’s unilateral visa-free list now covers 75 countries and that 55 nationalities enjoy 240-hour (10-day) transit-waiver access through 65 air ports, yet the country still lags behind regional competitors that routinely grant 30- to 90-day stays. Japan, Korea and Thailand, he pointed out, “steal” long-haul leisure traffic because their rules are easier to understand and apply. Although China processed more than 40 million foreign arrivals in 2025 – 74 % of them visa-free – surveys by inbound operators show that eight in ten potential visitors are unaware of the new policies or unclear about complicated port-of-entry requirements.
To close the gap, the airline chief proposed four concrete measures: 1) extend the maximum stay for unilateral visa-free visitors from 30 to 60 days; 2) add major European and North-American markets to the list; 3) expand the 240-hour transit waiver beyond airports to selected rail, highway and seaport crossings so over-land itineraries can be sold; and 4) launch an “Inbound Tourism Content-Creator Support Programme” to finance overseas influencers who showcase hassle-free travel in China on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
![Spring Airlines Chairman urges wider, longer visa-free entry and simpler 240-hour transit rules]()
For travelers and corporates trying to keep pace with these rapidly shifting entry rules, VisaHQ offers a one-stop resource that tracks Chinese visa exemptions in real time and provides step-by-step guidance for anyone who still needs a permit. Its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) is updated as soon as new policies—such as the proposed 60-day stay or expansion to land borders—are announced, helping passengers avoid last-minute surprises and ensuring travel managers stay compliant.
If adopted, the changes would directly benefit multinationals that rely on short-term technical trips and after-sales visits, because staff could enter mainland China without an invitation letter or visa appointment, saving up to two weeks of lead time and several hundred dollars in agency fees. Airlines and airports outside Beijing and Shanghai also expect a boost, as longer, more flexible stays convert transfer passengers into destination travellers, lifting load factors on secondary-city routes.
Wang’s intervention reflects a broader push by the Chinese aviation industry to embed visa policy into national competitiveness. Spring Airlines has already planned capacity growth on Thailand and Japan routes and says it could redeploy aircraft to Europe and North America as soon as visa-free stays are lengthened. Analysts believe the proposal will gain traction because it aligns with the government’s stated objective of reviving inbound tourism receipts to pre-pandemic levels by 2027.
Wang noted that China’s unilateral visa-free list now covers 75 countries and that 55 nationalities enjoy 240-hour (10-day) transit-waiver access through 65 air ports, yet the country still lags behind regional competitors that routinely grant 30- to 90-day stays. Japan, Korea and Thailand, he pointed out, “steal” long-haul leisure traffic because their rules are easier to understand and apply. Although China processed more than 40 million foreign arrivals in 2025 – 74 % of them visa-free – surveys by inbound operators show that eight in ten potential visitors are unaware of the new policies or unclear about complicated port-of-entry requirements.
To close the gap, the airline chief proposed four concrete measures: 1) extend the maximum stay for unilateral visa-free visitors from 30 to 60 days; 2) add major European and North-American markets to the list; 3) expand the 240-hour transit waiver beyond airports to selected rail, highway and seaport crossings so over-land itineraries can be sold; and 4) launch an “Inbound Tourism Content-Creator Support Programme” to finance overseas influencers who showcase hassle-free travel in China on TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
For travelers and corporates trying to keep pace with these rapidly shifting entry rules, VisaHQ offers a one-stop resource that tracks Chinese visa exemptions in real time and provides step-by-step guidance for anyone who still needs a permit. Its China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) is updated as soon as new policies—such as the proposed 60-day stay or expansion to land borders—are announced, helping passengers avoid last-minute surprises and ensuring travel managers stay compliant.
If adopted, the changes would directly benefit multinationals that rely on short-term technical trips and after-sales visits, because staff could enter mainland China without an invitation letter or visa appointment, saving up to two weeks of lead time and several hundred dollars in agency fees. Airlines and airports outside Beijing and Shanghai also expect a boost, as longer, more flexible stays convert transfer passengers into destination travellers, lifting load factors on secondary-city routes.
Wang’s intervention reflects a broader push by the Chinese aviation industry to embed visa policy into national competitiveness. Spring Airlines has already planned capacity growth on Thailand and Japan routes and says it could redeploy aircraft to Europe and North America as soon as visa-free stays are lengthened. Analysts believe the proposal will gain traction because it aligns with the government’s stated objective of reviving inbound tourism receipts to pre-pandemic levels by 2027.
