China omits India, Pak from 72-hour visa free travel

[Sugarcane]

Beijing, Dec 6:

China today announced a 72-hour visa free stay in Beijing for travellers from 42 countries but India, Pakistan and the rest of South Asian nations were conspicuously missing from the list.

Beijing will start a 72-hour visa-free stay policy for citizens of 45 countries from January 1 next year in a bid to increase the inflow of tourists to the Chinese capital, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Tourists holding third country visas and plane tickets can apply for a transit without visa (TWOV) in the capital city at Beijing Capital International Airport.

The list mostly includes US, European countries as well as Japan and Russia.

All most all of China’s neighbours in South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka did not figure in the list.

The 45 countries were listed in accordance with the numbers of inbound overnight visitors in Beijing from 2009 to 2011, the Xinhua report said.

“The policy may enhance the status of Beijing Capital International Airport as an international air hub, said Gao Lijia,” a general deputy manager with the airport.

The airport has seen about 7.6 million inbound and outbound foreign passengers during the first nine months in 2012 and 5,21,600 out of them are transit passengers, Gao said.

He predicted that the policy will bring 6,00,000 to 8,00,000 transit visitors to China in 2013.

To help with the transit visitors, the airport will improve service facilities in the airport including special visa-free channels, said Li Chunfang, manager with the planning and development department of the airport.

“We will set up a special service zone for transit visitors in our terminals, offering drinking water and reading materials. Moreover, services including foreign currency exchange, mobile phone rental service, and left-luggage office will be provided for the convenience of tourists,” he said.

Foreign visitors are not permitted to leave Beijing to other Chinese cities during the 72 hours, and have to depart from Beijing.

Visitors have to register at a police station with their visas within 24 hours of their arrival, according to the government.

The 72 hours will be calculated starting from the moment visitors get their transit stay permits, said Gao Dahua, deputy director of the exit and entry administrative corps of Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau.

Beijing Capital International Airport is the only entry-exit port applicable for the policy, Gao stressed.

Business Line : News / International : China omits India, Pak from 72-hour visa free travel

 

[JayAtl]

India I can understand, I even understand they give it to " white" nations, but Pakistan? that is very insulting when you call them brothers and then ask the family member to call, asking permission, before he comes over for dinner.

 

[Cherokee]

Good Decision .China is a Middle Income Economy while we are still third world . We don't want "Tourists" vanishing in China like in Far east asian countries now Do We ??

 

[dollarman]

Hmm interesting decision. Have there been cases where Indians went and then disappeared there?

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

The 45 countries were listed in accordance with the numbers of inbound overnight visitors in Beijing from 2009 to 2011, the Xinhua report said.

These are the countries that send us the most visitors.

Most of our tourists come from the Western world and East Asia.

It is much more rare for South Asians to travel to China, so adding them to the list won't have much of an impact either way.

 

[Cherokee]

These are the countries that send us the most visitors.

Most of our tourists come from the Western world and East Asia.

It is much more rare for South Asians to travel to China, so adding them to the list won't have much of an impact either way.

Yeah , Henceforth Ommision is of Significance . Is Pakistan Because of ETIM issue and India "hostility" or the reason which i gave before .

 

[Iggy]

They knows we need only less than 72 hours to migrate a whole village to China if provided free visa..

 

[IndoUS]

Well their country their rules regarding who to let in.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Yeah , Henceforth Ommision is of Significance . Is Pakistan Because of ETIM issue and India "hostility" or the reason which i gave before .

Omission is because South Asia doesn't send us many tourists in the first place.

So what is the point if it won't impact overall tourist numbers?

Hmm interesting decision. Have there been cases where Indians went and then disappeared there?

And how can they hide without being caught? It's not easy to learn Chinese, and if you don't know Chinese then you are still a foreigner and will stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[Cherokee]

Omission is because South Asia doesn't send us many tourists in the first place.

So what is the point if it won't impact overall tourist numbers by more than 1%?



And how can they hide without being caught? It's not easy to learn Chinese, and if you don't know Chinese then you are still a foreigner and will stick out like a sore thumb.

Ask Far East Asians and you will know

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Ask Far East Asians and you will know

There are a lot of ethnic Koreans who live in Northeast China. They can speak Chinese fluently so they can assimilate.

However if someone just hopped the border from North Korea then they won't know enough Chinese to pass as a local.

 

[Rizwan Alam]

These are the countries that send us the most visitors.

Most of our tourists come from the Western world and East Asia.

It is much more rare for South Asians to travel to China, so adding them to the list won't have much of an impact either way.

Precisely!! Average south Asians particularly we, do not have money to spend for such luxuries and those who have, they prefer West....

 

[dollarman]

Omission is because South Asia doesn't send us many tourists in the first place.

So what is the point if it won't impact overall tourist numbers?

And how can they hide without being caught? It's not easy to learn Chinese, and if you don't know Chinese then you are still a foreigner and will stick out like a sore thumb.

Thats true. There is usually only 2 logical reasons countries add visa restrictions:

1. Detoriorating political ties (barring small hiccups, not the case with India-China, things have been OK for the last couple years for the most part)

2. Said country abuses the free visa rule to immigrate illegally (which is why I was asking about it)

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

2. Said country abuses the free visa rule to immigrate illegally (which is why I was asking about it)

If a foreigner is not fluent in speaking/writing Chinese, then they won't be able to hide here.

If a foreigner IS fluent in speaking/writing Chinese, then they won't need to immigrate illegally since they can already earn a decent living as a translator.

 

[danger007]

India I can understand, I even understand they give it to " white" nations, but Pakistan? that is very insulting when you call them brothers and then ask the family member to call, asking permission, before he comes over for dinner.

they just can't becuase some terrorists may come into chinese territory in this way...so not good for them..