International

More Chinese embassies ease visa restrictions as int’l students prepare their return to universities in China

China continues to ease its visa restrictions for foreigners, with dozens of Chinese embassies having resumed another two types of visa services for foreigners, after it largely suspended issuing visas to foreign students and others more than two years ago at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

International students take pottery class in Hohhot, north China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on March 28, 2019.Photo:IC — International students take pottery class in Hohhot, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on March 28, 2019.

Starting on Wednesday, holders of valid APEC Business Travel Cards or study residence permits are allowed to enter China, according to dozens of Chinese embassies including those in the UK, US, France, India, Pakistan and Japan.

Also, long-term overseas students who are coming to China for educational purposes can submit their X1 visa applications to the Chinese Visa Application Service Center. Families of students studying in China can apply to live with or visit their relatives in China.

Visa applications from short-term overseas students for the non-academic education (X2) visa are not accepted at the moment, according to an announcement by the Chinese Embassy in the US on August 19. Many other embassies also have released a similar statement.

The Chinese Embassy in Serbia confirmed to the Global Times on Wednesday the news about the visa and travel policy adjustment. The Chinese Embassy in Serbia also stated that those who met the requirements of the visa waiver agreement between China and Serbia could travel to China if necessary.

International passengers need to take two PCR tests for COVID-19 within 48 hours of their departure, the second of which must be within 24 hours of their departure.

International students reached by the Global Times are thrilled to hear this update. Some are preparing their visa applications in the hope they can return to their universities in China as soon as possible.

An international student from Pakistan on Twitter on Wednesday shared her joy and expressed her hope to come back to China as soon as possible after she successfully applied for the visa. The student, who studies at a university in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province, told the Global Times on Wednesday that the application process was smooth and quick.

Also, COVID-19 rules on overseas flights have also been relaxed. Starting from August 7, any flight with five detected COVID-19 cases will be suspended for one week if the confirmed cases account for 4 percent of all those onboard, and for two weeks if the confirmed cases account for 8 percent, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said.

From August 1 to Wednesday, a total of 685 inbound passenger flights arrived in China, an average of 200 flights per week, an increase of 16 percent compared with the daily average in July. More than 30 percent of the flights were from South Korea and Japan, data from information provider VariFlight sent to the Global Times on Wednesday showed.

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which resumed passenger flights between Abu Dhabi and Beijing in June, has one direct flight from Abu Dhabi to Beijing and Shanghai per week. The company told the Global Times on Wednesday that it may increase services between the two countries.

As more foreigners are allowed to enter China, Chinese cities and regions, especially those providing inbound passengers with quarantine services, face pressure in preventing inbound epidemic.

It is a general trend that China is easing its border restrictions and quarantine requirements while sticking to the dynamic zero-COVID policy, Zhuang Shilihe, a Guangzhou-based medical expert who closely follows public health issues, told the Global Times on Wednesday. He noted that this cannot be achieved overnight due to potential surge of COVID-19 cases.

The most practical response to the potential inbound infections would be detecting them and isolating them as soon as possible, and tracking the infection origin in a timely manner, so as to prevent sporadic infections from developing into a large-scale outbreak, Zhuang pointed out.

International

Washington DC Fifth Graders Learn About Barbados

Last Friday, a fifth-grade class from JC Nalle Elementary in Washington DC, visited Barbados’ Embassy in Washington as part of the Embassy Adoption Program (EAP). The visit was the culmination of a series of sessions which started in November 2024.

The EAP is a global education programme that links fifth and sixth grade classes with embassies and other global entities to provide DC Public School students with a unique opportunity to expand their global awareness.

The class was initially visited by former teacher, now diplomat, First Secretary William Clarke and staffer, Elle Duguid of the embassy. Mr. Clarke and Ms. Duguid taught students general facts about Barbados including its location, history, government, and economy.

During a second visit in December, the students learned about cricket, ‘bajan’ dialect, the island’s festivals, including Crop Over, and also about celebrations held within Barbados.

For the third and fourth visits respectively, the students were informed about We Gatherin’ and Barbados’ geography, nature and landscape. The Embassy concluded its visits to the school with a presentation on climate vulnerability and sustainability in Barbados.

To cap the programme off, students visited the embassy to meet with Barbados’ Ambassador to the United States of America, Vic Fernandes, to whom they made a presentation on what they learned. The students performed a medley of skits and dances highlighting Barbados’ history and culture. After the presentation, Ambassador Fernandes hosted the students for lunch.

Next month, the JC Nalle Elementary students will participate in the EAP’s Mini United Nations simulation representing Barbados. There, the students will debate the important topic of climate vulnerability and deliver a final presentation showcasing what they learned throughout the programme. (PR/GIS)

Caption: Barbados’ Ambassador to the United States, Vic Fernandes (right), and staff of the Embassy of Barbados in Washington, D.C., pose with fifth graders of JC Nalle Elementary

International

CHINA ANNOUNCES VISA FREE TRAVEL FOR SOME LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN COUNTRIES

China plans to expand its visa-free policy for five Latin American/#Caribbean countries and offer 3,500 scholarships and 10,000 training opportunities, as part of a five-programme plan to advance shared development and revitalisation with LAC countries. source Caribbean News UK

International

President Xi Jinping urges solidarity, deeper cooperation at China-CELAC meeting

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China is willing to strengthen solidarity with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries and announced five major programs to jointly pursue development and revitalization with LAC countries on Tuesday.

The five programs, solidarity, development, civilization, peace, and people-to-people connectivity, were announced by Xi while delivering a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum in Beijing.

On the solidarity program, Xi said China is willing to strengthen solidarity with Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries and continue to support each other on issues concerning their core interests and major concerns to firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and international order underpinned by international law and to speak with one voice in international and regional affairs.

In the next three years, China will invite 300 members from political parties of CELAC member states every year to visit China to facilitate exchanges on national governance best practices, Xi said.

Regarding the development program, Xi said China is willing to work with LAC countries to implement the Global Development Initiative, resolutely uphold the multilateral trading system, ensure stable, unimpeded global industrial and supply chains, and promote an international environment of openness and cooperation.

Noting that the two sides should foster greater synergy between their development strategies and expand high-quality Belt and Road cooperation, Xi said China will import more quality products from LAC countries and encourage Chinese enterprises to expand their investment in the region.

On the civilization program, Xi called for the joint implementation of the Global Civilization Initiative. He said both sides should uphold the vision of equality, mutual learning, dialogue, and inclusiveness between civilizations, champion humanity’s common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy, and freedom, and enhance China-LAC civilizational exchanges and mutual learning, including through a conference on China-LAC inter-civilizational dialogue.

For the peace program, Xi called for the joint implementation of the Global Security Initiative. He said both sides should cooperate more closely in disaster governance, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, anti-corruption, narcotics control, and combating transnational organized crime to safeguard security and stability in the region.

Regarding people-to-people connectivity, Xi said in the next three years, China will provide CELAC member states with 3,500 government scholarships, 10,000 training opportunities in China, 500 International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarships, 300 training opportunities for poverty reduction professionals, and 1,000 funded placements through the Chinese Bridge program, initiate 300 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects, and support CELAC member states in developing Chinese language education.

China has decided to offer a visa-free policy to five LAC countries and will expand the policy to cover more regional countries in due course, Xi said.

Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, the CELAC rotating chair, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Chilean President Gabriel Boric, and Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian president, respectively, addressed the event.

The special representative for Yamandu Orsi, president of Uruguay and the incoming CELAC rotating chair, read out the president’s congratulatory letter.

Faced with a world full of uncertainties, LAC countries and China should work together to promote continuous new progress in building a community with a shared future, they said.

Both sides should respect each other and firmly support each other in safeguarding sovereignty and choosing their own development path, they said, calling for strengthening the synergy between the development strategies of LAC countries and the Belt and Road Initiative and promoting cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, agriculture, science and technology, new energy and education.

The two sides should also promote exchanges and dialogues among civilizations, safeguard the authority of the UN, support multilateralism and free trade, and oppose unilateralism, protectionism, power politics, and bullying to safeguard the common interests of the Global South, they added.

CAPTION: Chinese President Xi Jinping delivers a keynote speech during the opening ceremony of the fourth ministerial meeting of the China-CELAC (the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) Forum, Beijing, capital of China, May 13, 2025