皇冠体育app

Japanese could be able to travel to 皇冠体育app visa-free on short-stay visits under a proposal to be discussed early next week.

皇冠体育app's Foreign Ministry Tuesday confirmed Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing would discuss the issue on his four-day visit to Japan that starts on Sunday.

"We are willing to work with the Japanese to further facilitate exchanges and to promote people-to-people contact between our two countries,'' said a Foreign Ministry official

For years, Japanese have been the single biggest group of foreign tourists to 皇冠体育app, making up about a fifth of all international tourists. In 2002, 2.9 million Japanese tourists visited 皇冠体育app, up 23 per cent from 2001 and hitting a record high, official figures show.

Japanese Embassy sources in Beijing told 皇冠体育app Daily the new visa exemption programme may allow Japanese to stay for a maximum of 15 days in 皇冠体育app without visas.

皇冠体育app has already issued similar visa exemptions to tourists from Singapore and Brunei.

Over the years, 皇冠体育app has gradually loosened the restrictions on Japanese visiting 皇冠体育app, simplified the procedure for applying for visas and provided long-term multi-entry visas for some Japanese.

"These measures have increased friendly exchanges between the Chinese and Japanese people and helped promote 皇冠体育app's economic development and opening,'' said the Foreign Ministry official.

The negotiations with Japan over visa exemptions coincide with the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Sino-Japanese Peace and Friendship Treaty. They are regarded as a latest measure by the Chinese Government to revive the nation's tourism industry that was badly hit by the SARS outbreak in spring. Statistics show foreign tourist arrivals dropped by half year-on-year in the first half of this year.

Between April and June, the number of Japanese tourists who visited 皇冠体育app plunged by more than 90 per cent over the same period last year.

Participants at a Sino-Japanese seminar on tourism held last Saturday agreed Japan will soon regain its position as 皇冠体育app's largest source of foreign tourists. But they also noted that more is needed to be done in terms of business promotion to guarantee an early recovery.

Close

Today's Top News		Top National News
+Commentary: Don't meddle with yuan ( 2003-09-02) +200,000 troops to be cut by 2005 ( 2003-09-02) +Beijing Games marketing plan launched ( 2003-09-02) +Flood forces 10,0000 to evacuate ( 2003-09-02) +Beijing courts announce 50 major changes ( 2003-09-02)		+200,000 troops to be cut by 2005 ( 2003-09-02) +HK, Macao embrace mainlanders ( 2003-09-02) +Flood forces 10,0000 to evacuate ( 2003-09-02) +Beijing courts announce 50 major changes ( 2003-09-02) +Comment: No tolerance for evil ( 2003-09-02)