Chinese authorities have introduced a visa waiver allowing ordinary passport holders from the United Kingdom and Canada to visit mainland China for up to 30 days without prior approval.
Effective from 17 February until 31 December 2026, the policy covers tourism, business, family visits, cultural exchanges, and transit.
This expands eligibility to about 48 countries, including France, Germany, Japan, and Australia. Officials hint at possible extension into 2027 based on uptake, with airlines expecting a surge around the Spring Festival.
The move follows UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s January 2026 Beijing visit—the first by a British leader since 2018—where he met President Xi Jinping. They agreed to enhance cooperation in services, healthcare, AI, life sciences, education, and green tech, with AstraZeneca committing £10.9 billion to China by 2030.
Sir Keir said British firms had been “crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China.” No full free trade deal emerged, but ties warmed despite past tensions.
Some 615,000-620,000 Britons visited China in 2024, and eased rules should boost two-way tourism worth £723.8 million from Chinese travellers last year. China’s Foreign Ministry called it a step to “further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries.”
Debate lingers over Starmer’s approval of a major new Chinese embassy in central London amid espionage fears, though Security Minister Dan Jarvis backed safeguards. Critics say the reset ignores human rights and security worries as trade hit $137 billion in 2025.