Manila: China is offering visa-free entry to tourists from several Southeast Asian countries to Xishuangbanna in Yunnan Province as part of efforts to promote the area’s tourism. In a statement on Monday, China’s National Immigration Administration (NIA) said tourist groups of two or more ordinary passport holders from ten Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members can stay in Xishuangbanna for a maximum of six days.

According to Philippines News Agency, these countries include the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, and Cambodia. Tourists from these ASEAN countries can enter and exit China visa-free through the Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, Mohan Railway Port, and Mohan Highway Port, with travel limited to the administrative region of Xishuangbanna Prefecture.

“This policy marks a significant step towards enhancing autonomous opening-up and supporting Yunnan’s development as the Chinese pivot of opening-up to south and southeast Asia,” the NIA stated. It is considered crucial for advancing the tourism industry in southwest China, promoting people-to-people exchanges between China and foreign countries, and deepening the China-ASEAN comprehensive strategic partnership.

In addition to tourists, China seeks to open up immigration management at an institutional level to attract more foreign nationals traveling and doing business in the country.