KUALA LUMPUR: The implementation of a mutual visa-free policy between China and Malaysia marks a historic milestone in both countries' friendly relations, bringing benefits to the nations and their peoples.
The Chinese Embassy in Malaysia said bilateral policies introduced by China and Malaysia to facilitate exchanges between the two nations had been warmly welcomed and positively responded to.
"On the first day of the implementation of the visa-free policy, 1,113 Malaysian citizens entered China visa-free, which is the largest number of entries among the six countries implementing the visa-free policy.
"The number of Chinese citizens travelling to Malaysia for tourism and business has also increased significantly," the embassy said in a statement today.
On Nov 24, the Chinese government announced the visa-free policy for six countries, including Malaysia, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain, starting Dec 1 to Nov 30, 2024.
Malaysian passport holders visiting China for leisure, business, in transit, or to visit relatives and friends for not more than 15 days can enter China without a visa.
Meanwhile, the Malaysian government has also announced the implementation of a 30-day visa-free entry for Chinese citizens from Dec 1, 2023, to Dec 31, 2024.
This was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Nov 26.
The Chinese Embassy also said before the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of bilateral people-to-people exchanges between China and Malaysia reached 3,795,800 in 2019.
China had become Malaysia's largest source of tourists outside Asean countries for seven consecutive years, it added.
"The embassy in Malaysia attaches great importance to and actively promotes exchanges and cooperation between China and Malaysia in various fields and has been making continuous efforts to promote the facilitation of bilateral people-to-people exchanges so that the friendly relations between the two countries will further benefit the people.
"In 2023, the embassy processed nearly 260,000 visas, with the highest number exceeding 4,000 applications processed in a single day.
"During visa application peak periods, the embassy, together with the Chinese Visa Application Service Centre in Kuala Lumpur, has made efforts to improve the quality of visa application services," it said, including by simplifying the application process.
The embassy added that next year marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malaysia.
"The embassy will continue to put the people's needs first and practise diplomacy for the people, take more effective measures and do our best to provide professional and high-quality services to Malaysian citizens to promote friendly exchanges and cooperation, contributing to the enduring friendship between China and Malaysia."