Visa-Free Stopovers in More Chinese Cities

[CEOCambodiaNews]

Foreigners to enjoy 144-hour visa-free transit in more Chinese cities
China Daily/Asia News Network
Oct 23, 2019

Starting from Dec 1, 2019, more Chinese cities will begin offering 144-hour visa-free transit services to foreign travellers from 53 countries, Chinanews.com reported.

According to the National Immigration Administration on Wednesday, besides the newly added Ningbo city in Zhejiang province, the areas of Chongqing Municipality and Xi'an city, capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi province, were also approved to extend their visa-free period for foreigners transiting through the cities from 72 hours to 144 hours, bringing the total cities to 20.

In recent years, China has launched more visa-related preferential policies for foreign visitors to better serve travellers and help boost tourism.

Since 2013, the State Council has approved the 72-hour visa-free transit in 18 cities for eligible international travellers and later extended the period to 144 hours in a number of cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Nanjing, Shijiazhuang and Shenyang.

From Jan 1, 2019, more cities including Qingdao of Shandong province, Xiamen of Fujian province, Wuhan of Hubei province, Chengdu of Sichuan province, and Kunming of Yunnan province also implemented the policy.
https://www.asiaone.com/china/foreigner ... ese-cities

[Mishmash]

Is it Surveillance Free too???

[Sweet Lemon]

I’ve read a lot of stories lately aout Westerners landing in China intending to transit visa free and eligible for visa free transit and the Chinese are saying no entry, with no reason given. There is speculation it has to do with Turkish entry stamps in your passport.

[Mishmash]

I’ve read a lot of stories lately aout Westerners landing in China intending to transit visa free and eligible for visa free transit and the Chinese are saying no entry, with no reason given. There is speculation it has to do with Turkish entry stamps in your passport.

Or you may just have liked a Winnie the Pooh post years ago, or inadvertently mentioned Tienanmen in between a fit of Tourette Syndrome and a sneeze.

Or perhaps like Taiwan Products or expressed sympathy for Hong Kong

Or reposted the UN ruling invalidating the 9 dash line

Or thought that Tibet was not China

Or maybe even expressed concern over the re-education camps

Or perhaps read an article on Organ Harvesting

Or thought that freedom of religion was a basic human right...

Or perhaps did not revere Chairman Mao and thought he was the worst genocidal maniac in the history of mankind

Or had WhatsApp or google on your phone - even a gmail account maybe.

Could be many reasons bro....

[atst]

These are for airport transfers only unless changed a few years ago arriving by cruise ship and transiting to ongoing flight the visa free 72 hour's don't apply
What the difference is I don't know but cause and family some stress as couldn't exit ship to get to airport in Shanghai ,few hours later and $1000 lighter we were allowed to enter and just got to plane on time
Double check if arriving by ship

[armchairlawyer]

These are for airport transfers only unless changed a few years ago arriving by cruise ship and transiting to ongoing flight the visa free 72 hour's don't apply
What the difference is I don't know but cause and family some stress as couldn't exit ship to get to airport in Shanghai ,few hours later and $1000 lighter we were allowed to enter and just got to plane on time
Double check if arriving by ship

What a horrible experience.
The airlines often don't understand the rules and will refuse boarding. I have flown twice on Cathay from PNH to Shanghai via HKG. I showed them my confirmed booking out of Shanghai but it took me half an hour on both occasions to persuade them to issue the BP. At one point they summoned help from some senior guy who rolled up and confidently declared the visa exemption only works if you fly directly from PNH to Shanghai. Utter crap of course because for visa waiver purposes, HKG is considered not in China and in any case I was staying airside in HKG.

Flyertalk.com is a good source for info on the visa waiver scheme. You have to check the rules very carefully and you need to print off your confirmed booking for the onward flight out of China.

[Sweet Lemon]

Yes but the recent reports are of passengers who are legitimately transiting and following all the rules but nonetheless being denied entry to China and told they have to buy a seat on the next flight back

[armchairlawyer]

Yes but the recent reports are of passengers who are legitimately transiting and following all the rules but nonetheless being denied entry to China and told they have to buy a seat on the next flight back

You are totally correct. This link is on flyertalk, https://newslanes.com/cruise-ship-chaos ... -to-china/

[atst]

You might think you are legitimate transfering as you have onward travel but if arriving or departing by sea the Chinese authorities think differently
Best just avoid China and visit Sihanoukville you'll get the same non friendly experience from the locals and no visa problem

[Duncan]

Maybe China and other countries should take the same attitude as Australia and class everyone as a potential illegal immigrant until the can prove otherwise. Then make them produce multiple copies of every document they have and dont have, in triplicate and translated into Chinese.