China takes steps to enhance telecom service, easing access for foreigners: spokesperson
(ECNS) -- To help foreigners get a mobile number easier upon their arrival in China, carriers including China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom recently set up nine new shops at airports in such cities as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chengdu and Xiamen, and six new shops in popular destinations for foreign travelers in cities including Beijing, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Xi’an and Qingdao.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said China is committed to high-level opening-up and expanding people-to-people exchange with the rest of the world.
“Responsible government agencies and telecom operators in China recently took steps to enhance telecom service, easing the access to such service for foreigners traveling, working, studying or living in China,” he added.
Recent efforts by China to facilitate cross-border travel have made it safer and easier for Chinese people to travel abroad, and for foreigners to come to China, Wang said.
He introduced that China recently announced five new measures, including shortening visa application forms, lowering visa fees for the entire year, exempting some applicants from fingerprinting, providing walk-in without appointment visa application service and extending unilateral visa-free policy to France, Germany and some other countries on a trial basis. So far, China has signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries that cover different types of passports, and has reached agreements or arrangements to simplify visa procedures with 44 countries. China has a complete mutual visa exemption with 23 countries.
“As the Lunar New Year approaches, we welcome more foreign friends to come to China, to see China with their own eyes and travel the expanse of the country with their own feet and experience a true, multi-dimensional and panoramic China,” Wang said.
Related articles
The fightback begins: Boss of London's Queen Mary University tells pro
A university boss has been praised after telling a pro-Gaza student mob he will not meet them until2024-05-21- LOS ANGELES (AP) — The former interpreter for Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani has agreed to p2024-05-21
Nemo, among the favorites at Eurovision, is finding acceptance onstage and off
LONDON (AP) — No matter whether Nemo wins the Eurovision Song Contest this weekend — which would mak2024-05-21Adell homers, Angels rally past Pirates 5
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Jo Adell hit his fifth homer of the season and added an RBI single and the Los Ang2024-05-21- A small group of NFL rookies from the 2024 class, including Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, sat down2024-05-21
Gambling legislation remains stalled in session's closing hours
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Gambling legislation remains stalled in the Alabama Senate with members expr2024-05-21
atest comment