China and Singapore signed a mutual visa exemption agreement in Beijing on Jan 25, set to take effect on Feb 9 to coincide with Chinese New Year's Eve.

Under this agreement, holders of ordinary passports from both countries will enjoy visa-free entry for private purposes such as tourism, family visits, and business, with a stay not exceeding 30 days. However, for activities requiring prior approval, such as work or journalism, or stays surpassing 30 days, they need to obtain the relevant visas.

As of now, China has entered into mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries, covering different passport categories. Additionally, agreements simplifying visa procedures have been reached with 44 countries. Comprehensive mutual visa exemptions have been achieved with 22 countries, including Singapore, Maldives, Kazakhstan, among other nations. Moreover, over 60 countries and regions extend visa-free or visa-on-arrival privileges to Chinese citizens, significantly enhancing the convenience of travel for Chinese passport holders.

Wu Xi, director-general of the Department of Consular Affairs at the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted that China has recently implemented a series of measures to facilitate people-to-people exchange, welcoming friends from all countries to visit, do business, invest and study in China. Wu expressed the hope that both Chinese and foreign visitors will uphold the laws and regulations of host countries and bilateral agreements, thereby collectively maintaining an orderly exchange of people between China and other nations.