China’s State Council on 14 July released its blueprint for boosting domestic consumption during the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30). The policy package recognises inbound tourism and cross-border shopping as growth engines and therefore instructs ministries to ‘continue expanding the list of visa-exempt countries, refine transit-visa exemptions and prioritise new direct air routes to Europe, the US and Belt-and-Road partners’. Officials also promised to simplify customs, accommodation registration and telecom card purchases for visitors, while widening duty-free store access and piloting ‘refund-upon-purchase’ tax schemes at major attractions. The plan echoes recent unilateral visa waivers for Canada and the UK and signals further liberalisation ahead of the 2027 Harbin Winter Games. For corporates, looser entry rules should cut lead-times for fly-in technicians and support relocation assignments. Travel managers should watch for bilateral talks that could extend visa-free stays beyond the current 30-day limit or add categories such as short-term work missions. Airlines are expected to accelerate capacity restoration. China Southern has already applied for extra Guangzhou–Los Angeles flights for the winter schedule, while new slots to Frankfurt, Chicago and São Paulo are rumoured to be in negotiation. Foreign retail brands welcomed commitments to enlarge duty-free networks, noting that Shanghai’s downtown duty-free pilot recorded a 35 percent sales jump after foreigners were allowed to pay in Apple Pay and WeChat Pay linked to overseas cards.
Source: english.www.gov.cn
