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.