China’s Ministry of Commerce used the Two Sessions news cycle to spotlight its year-old “Shopping in China” initiative, describing a package of measures designed to convert foreign visitor arrivals into retail sales. In an article published by China Daily Hong Kong on 9 March 2026, officials and experts said the programme couples expanded visa-free entry, streamlined transit-visa procedures and airport tax-refund upgrades with multilingual payment tools to position Chinese cities as global consumption hubs. Core to the pitch are unilateral 30-day visa waivers—now covering 50 countries—as well as an enlarged 240-hour visa-free-transit network that spans 65 air, sea and land ports. Foreign shoppers can reclaim value-added tax at nearly 13,000 outlets nationwide, a figure that rose 96 percent year-on-year in 2025.
![‘Shopping in China’ campaign touts easier visas and tax refunds to lure foreign spenders]()
For travelers weighing whether they qualify for the new visa exemptions or need a traditional entry permit, VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers instant eligibility checks, application guidance and document couriering—making it easy for both leisure visitors and corporate mobility planners to keep pace with Beijing’s rapidly evolving entry rules.
Analysts noted that inbound entries by foreign nationals jumped 26 percent to 82 million last year, with 6.57 million visitors arriving visa-free. Luxury group Tapestry and health-and-beauty retailer Watsons both announced major mainland expansion plans, citing the initiative’s lower market-entry barriers. From a mobility-management perspective, the policy mix makes short-notice buying trips and merchandising audits far easier to arrange. Retailers can rotate headquarters staff through tier-two sourcing cities without the administrative drag of L-class visas, while tax-back mechanisms improve total-trip cost competitiveness against rivals such as Dubai and Singapore. The government also plans more multilingual signage, e-payment interoperability and duty-free allowances at Hainan Free Trade Port—moves likely to benefit corporate incentive groups. Travel advisors caution that visa-free travellers must still register accommodation within 24 hours and may face spot checks on retail purchases exceeding duty-free limits. Nevertheless, the campaign underscores Beijing’s post-pandemic shift from export-led to consumption-driven growth and signals continued liberalisation of entry policies through 2026.
For travelers weighing whether they qualify for the new visa exemptions or need a traditional entry permit, VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers instant eligibility checks, application guidance and document couriering—making it easy for both leisure visitors and corporate mobility planners to keep pace with Beijing’s rapidly evolving entry rules.
Analysts noted that inbound entries by foreign nationals jumped 26 percent to 82 million last year, with 6.57 million visitors arriving visa-free. Luxury group Tapestry and health-and-beauty retailer Watsons both announced major mainland expansion plans, citing the initiative’s lower market-entry barriers. From a mobility-management perspective, the policy mix makes short-notice buying trips and merchandising audits far easier to arrange. Retailers can rotate headquarters staff through tier-two sourcing cities without the administrative drag of L-class visas, while tax-back mechanisms improve total-trip cost competitiveness against rivals such as Dubai and Singapore. The government also plans more multilingual signage, e-payment interoperability and duty-free allowances at Hainan Free Trade Port—moves likely to benefit corporate incentive groups. Travel advisors caution that visa-free travellers must still register accommodation within 24 hours and may face spot checks on retail purchases exceeding duty-free limits. Nevertheless, the campaign underscores Beijing’s post-pandemic shift from export-led to consumption-driven growth and signals continued liberalisation of entry policies through 2026.
