China Allowing Visitors from some Nations to Stay Visa-free for up to 6 Days during Transit  



China has announced that it will begin offering a six-day visa waiver to people passing through China while traveling to a different ｃountry destination later on. Foreigners can pay a visit to Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei visa-free when transiting in the ｃountry. This will apply to passengers traveling via planes as well as cruise ships. The government of China believes that this short visa waiver period will encourage travelers to take advantage of their stopover in China when traveling.

China has been struggling to grow its tourist industry. Despite its many efforts, China only attracted a little over 14 million tourists last year, in spite of their extensive efforts to make China a "must-see" destination. Many people believe that this is due to the very strict and extensive visa process travelers must go through to gain entry into the ｃountry.

China has opened this visa waiver to travelers from 53 ｃountries at this time. These ｃountries include the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea and most of the European Union. China launched the same type of waiver program last year in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang, and it has been very successful. These areas of China have reported increased tourist traffic since the program began.

The new six-day waiver went into effect on January 4, 2018 and will remain in effect until further notice. The government has already begun to place announcements and information pamphlets in the airports and cruise ship dock areas to inform passengers of their ability to stay and enjoy China for a few days before departing to their next destination.

Article Source: https://news.get.com/china-allowing-visitors-some-nations-stay-visa-free-6-days-during-transit/
Image Source: https://www.holidayextras.co.uk/images/holidayextras-blog/people-watching-in-airport-crowd-1.jpg

VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Transit (n.) ~ an act of passing through or across a place
2. Extensive (adj.) ~ covering or affecting a large area
3. Waiver (n.) ~ an agreement that you do not have to pay or obey something
4. Launch (v.) ~ start or set in motion (an activity or enterprise)
5. Depart (v.) ~ leave, typically in order to start a journey

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Have you ever been to China? How long did you stay and how long did you process the required documents for your stay?
2. What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of VISA-free entry to a ｃountry?
3. Do you think adapating this kind of system would be helpful in promoting tourism in your ｃountry? Discuss your answer.