China has announced that it will reinstate its 15-day visa-free entry policy for citizens of Singapore and Brunei from July 26, after a three-year suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Chinese embassies to Singapore and Brunei said that the policy will apply to those who are visiting China for business, tourism, family visits and transit. They also said that visas which have been issued or applied for will remain valid.
The move is seen as a sign of easing travel restrictions and strengthening bilateral ties between China and the two Southeast Asian countries, which have maintained close economic and political relations.
Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong met Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang respectively in Beijing earlier this year. Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the resumption of the visa-free entry policy “will facilitate people and business flows between our countries and pave the way for deeper bilateral cooperation”.
Brunei’s Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah also had a phone conversation with Xi in April, during which they agreed to enhance cooperation in various fields, including trade, investment, health and education. Brunei’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the visa-free entry policy “will further promote people-to-people exchanges and contribute to the development of friendly relations between Brunei Darussalam and China”.