China's visa-free policy strengthens exchanges with Greece, sparks tourism surge

China's visa-free policy for Greece has boosted tourism and strengthened economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, from October 15, 2024 to December 31, 2025, ordinary passport holders from Portugal, Greece, Cyprus and Slovenia do not need a visa to enter China for business, tourism, family visit and transit purposes for up to 15 days.

These changes have given rise to more direct flights between Athens and Beijing, with Air China ramping up its route to five flights a week and boosting seat capacity by 128 percent this year. 

Kostas Mathiopoulos, a kung fu instructor who has traveled to China numerous times, notes that his airport experience now feels less frustrating than before.

"I've been traveling to China every year since 1996. I have to say, this is the first time it's been this easy—no paperwork for the visa and no need to spend money on one," he said.

Mathiopoulos visits China annually for training and seminars, and with the new visa rules, he plans to travel more frequently.

"Even though the visa is only for two weeks at a time, it still allows me to travel more often throughout the year, not just once. This way, I can maintain a closer connection with my sensei and bring more value to my students back in Greece," said Mathiopoulos.

This initiative is expected to boost tourism and foster deeper business and cultural connections, paving the way for lasting relations.

"Our priority has been to strengthen ties with the People's Republic of China within a strategic framework, not sporadically. I believe Sino-Greek relations are currently at their best. However, local government relations, particularly between regions and Chinese provinces, have seen some stagnation. The key issue was the lack of a broad strategic plan, which limited long-term prospects. This new initiative offers an opportunity to enhance relations, not just between governments, but also between people, cultures, and businesses," said Nikos Chardalias, the governor of Attica, the Greek administrative region that encompasses Athens.

China's visa-free policy strengthens exchanges with Greece, sparks tourism surge

China launches a series of policies to support overseas-funded medical institutions and promote the steady progress in opening up to foreign investment and expertise, Jiao Yahui, a senior official with the National Health Commission, announced Monday.

Speaking at a press briefing in Beijing, Jiao introduced that the latest moves include allowing qualified foreign doctors and those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan to open clinics in designated pilot regions. The measures also support short-term practice for overseas medical professionals, with streamlined and simplified approval processes.

These actions fall under a work plan to expand access to China's services sector for foreign investment and professionals, which was released last week by the Ministry of Commerce.

With data security and patient privacy guaranteed, the plan also encourages the joint development and sharing of health and medical databases. It calls for the increased standardization of clinical data and improved sharing between hospitals.

"We expands the pilot programs in the medical field, with the goal of introducing high-quality medical resources. We will also actively prompt commercial health insurance to support overseas-funded medical institutions. During the pilot process, we will also guide these pilot cities to constantly and dynamically sort out and summarize the pilot situation, form replicable and promotable experiences, and make adequate preparations for the further expansion of opening up and policies optimization," said Jiao.

China takes actions to expand foreign investment in health sector