China has expanded eligibility for the programme significantly in the last two years. Visitors can stay for up to 30 days for business, tourism, exchange programmes and to visit family and friends.
Most Europeans qualify for visa-free entry, along with some from select countries in other regions, including Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
Citizens of a few other countries, including the United States and Indonesia, can enter for 10 days if they are in transit — meaning they have a ticket departing for a different country than they arrived from.
Business executives and tourists have welcomed the change, as the China visa application process can be a relatively cumbersome one.
The UK and Canada are being added following visits to China last month by their Prime Ministers, Keir Starmer and Mark Carney. Both are relatively new leaders who are trying to revamp ties with Beijing after a downturn in recent years.
For most countries, the visa-free access expires at the end of this year, but it has been extended in the past.
A proposal to end visas for Australians travelling to China for 15 days or fewer has been well received as a move to make trips between the two countries more convenient.It will also save Australians about $110, which is the current cost for a single-entry tourist visa.
The visa-free scheme for short trips is due to come into effect in the next few months.
Jenny Zhang has plans to travel to China soon to reunite with her 100-year-old mum, and she has welcomed a move to give Australians visa-free entry for short trips.
"This is the best policy. It will provide great convenience to Chinese people living in Australia," she said."The Chinese community is very happy about this news."
The 15-day visa-free travel for Australians was announced by Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday, after a formal meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese shake hands while standing in front of national flags.
"We agreed to provide each other with reciprocal access to five-year multiple entry visas for tourism, business and visiting family members — so as to better facilitate personal exchanges, China will also include Australia in its Visa Waiver Program," the premier said.
This change will also save Australians about $110, the current cost for a single-entry tourist visa.The new visa-free travel scheme is due to come in within the next few months.
An infographic shows a list of 14 countries that have visa free travel arrangements with China.
China's tourism industry peaked in 2019 at a value of $580 billion and has been recovering slowly, according to Statista.
They had forecast that it could take another five years to bounce back to pre-pandemic levels
Li Qiang's Visit, Three Takeaways: Anthony Albanese and Li Qiang shake hands with a graphic backdrop of flags and protests.Three major highlights of Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit.
While Ms Zhang was thrilled with the upcoming change, Ramila Chanisheff, the president of the Australian Uyghur Tangritagh Women's Association said it would not help members of her community."Our family members … we can not even talk to them — let alone visit them," she told the ABC.
"Not all of us will be given visas to visit our family members. And if we do, we will be worried about our safety.