KUALA LUMPUR – Singapore is working on a 30-day visa exemption for China while Indonesia mulls granting a similar waiver to 20 countries, following a move by neighbouring Malaysia and Thailand.
Singapore’s move was announced in a statement after a bilateral meeting between its Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong and China’s Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang in Tianjin yesterday.
“The people’s movements will be facilitated by a mutual 30-day visa exemption arrangement. Both sides are working out the operational details, with the aim to implement in early 2024,” said Singapore’s Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin confirmed that the two countries have agreed on mutual visa exemption for holders of ordinary passports even though he did not mention the length of the waiver.
“Both sides are looking forward to the early implementation of the relevant arrangements.”
In July, China reinstated the 15-day visa-free entry for Singaporeans after suspending the facility during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also yesterday, the Monetary Authority of Singapore announced that its central bank and China would start a pilot programme to allow travellers from both sides to use China’s e-CNY digital currency for tourism spending in the two countries.
As for neighbouring Indonesia, the republic is considering granting visa exemptions to 20 countries, including China, South Korea, India, the United States, Australia, Germany, Britain and France in a bid to boost tourism, investment and its economy.
According to Indonesian Tourism Minister Sandiaga Uno, the list will be finalised in a month.
This comes ahead of the travel season, as Chinese tourists represent a huge market for Southeast Asia.
Thailand began a 30-day visa waiver programme for Chinese nationals on September 25, with the programme ending on February 29 next year, while India and Taiwan tourists were granted visa waivers for 30 days of travel from November to May 2024.
Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that citizens of China and India would be able to enjoy 30-day visa-free entries to Malaysia beginning December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024. China reciprocated with a 15-day waiver for Malaysian citizens holding ordinary passports who enter the country for business, tourism, family visits, and transit purposes. – December 8, 2023