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Beijing’s message to the world’s tourists: come here and judge China for yourselves | Zichen Wang
In a comment piece for the Guardian, Zichen Wang argues that Beijing is pursuing a deliberate strategy of openness towards foreign visitors, even as its wider relationship with the west grows more tense. By dramatically expanding visa-free travel, China is betting that first-hand exposure to the country – rather than geopolitical headlines about espionage crackdowns and press restrictions – will shape how outsiders see it. This marks a striking departure from the narrative of increasing closure and security that has otherwise defined China's international image in recent years.
Since 2023, China has offered 30-day visa-free entry to citizens of 50 countries, including all G7 members bar the US, and 25 of the 27 EU states, alongside a 240-hour visa-free transit scheme covering 55 countries. The policy is credited with driving record cross-border traffic in the first half of 2026, with foreign arrivals up 20.6% year-on-year and 17.8 million of those – 77.7% of the total – entering without a visa. The author notes this openness is not reciprocal, since countries such as the UK and Japan still require visas from Chinese travellers, and argues the move serves both an economic purpose, easing pressure on domestic consumption, and a broader diplomatic aim of improving China's global self-image.
In short
- China has sharply expanded visa-free entry since 2023 for many nations
- Foreign arrivals rose 20.6% in H1 2026, mostly visa-free entries
- Move seen as boosting economy and reshaping China's global image
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Expanding visa-free travel to millions of visitors represents a genuine opening that fosters mutual understanding and counters geopolitical misperceptions through direct experience. Tourism drives economic benefit, enables people-to-people connections, and signals confidence in engaging internationally—a pragmatic shift beyond the negative headlines that too often dominate Western coverage.
The case against
The asymmetry of this policy—granting visa-free access whilst maintaining restrictive visa requirements for Chinese travellers abroad—suggests calculated soft power rather than authentic openness. Combined with tightened domestic controls and restrictions on foreign journalists, inviting visitors to curated aspects of China appears to be strategic image management rather than meaningful change towards genuine transparency and reciprocal engagement.
Explained simply
China has expanded visa-free entry significantly, allowing citizens from 50 countries to visit for up to 30 days without a visa. This includes most members of the G7 (except the US) and most EU countries, alongside a separate transit scheme for citizens of 55 countries.
This openness contrasts with existing tensions between China and Western nations over issues such as security, espionage concerns, and press freedoms. Rather than moving towards greater isolation, China is instead betting that allowing foreigners to visit will shape their views of the country more positively than news headlines alone.
The strategy is designed to achieve both economic and diplomatic goals—boosting tourism and consumer spending whilst improving China's international image. The policy has already driven record visitor numbers, with foreign arrivals rising sharply and nearly four-fifths entering through the visa-free scheme.