53 Countries to Grant Priority Status to Visitors from China: Foreign Ministry Official

More Chinese nationals will be attracted to go overseas as 53 countries have agreed to prioritize holders of Chinese passports. (Photo : Getty Images)

A Chinese foreign ministry official announced on Wednesday that a total of 53 countries have agreed to grant priority status to visitors coming from China, the Global Times reported.



According to Guo Shaochun, the deputy head of the foreign ministry's consular department, holders of Chinese passports may now go to the said countries "either visa-free or will be given visas upon arrival," the report cited.




This news indicates the rising value of the Chinese passport.



Guo noted that as of Tuesday, China has visa-related agreements with 106 countries and has simplified visa application partnerships with another 38 nations.



The foreign ministry official also revealed that by the end of 2015, the consular department has released and issued more than 40,000 APEC Business Travel Cards, the most number among APEC economies.



Guo added that the department is extensively working to extend the validity of the travel card to five years.



Data from the ministry shows that Chinese mainland citizens made over 120 million trips abroad in 2015, posting an annual increase of more than 10 million trips.



Moreover, the report noted that a total of 1.02 million mainland Chinese work overseas, at 30,000 businesses in around 200 countries and regions.



Over 1.7 million Chinese students also flew overseas to get their education in foreign academic institutions.



"Convenient personnel exchanges cannot be achieved immediately. In the short run, China will continue to have difficulties in achieving visa-free status from some countries," Guo stated.



The official also said that "the foreign ministry will strengthen communication with related countries and further promote convenience for Chinese nationals and foreigners."



Meanwhile, the country is closely monitoring Chinese citizens who are abroad to secure their safety and legal rights.



Last year, Guo revealed that the foreign ministry handled around 80,000 cases involving 300,000 Chinese nationals who seek consular assistance and protection. About 50 percent of these cases took place in Asia, while 25 percent happened in Europe.

