On the eve of the Canton Fair’s public opening, Premier Li Qiang hosted a round-table with 70 overseas buyers and exhibitors from nearly 30 countries. Participants pressed for quicker multiple-entry visas, unified e-payment acceptance and stronger intellectual-property enforcement. Li answered with a three-point package: (1) expand the multiple-entry ‘M’-visa validity to five years for foreign SMEs with repeat attendance records; (2) direct the People’s Bank of China to standardise QR-code payment interoperability by mid-2027; and (3) empower specialised IP courts in Guangzhou and Shenzhen to offer expedited injunctions for trade-fair disputes. Although still conceptual, the proposals show China’s willingness to translate high-level opening-up slogans into mobility-friendly practice. For global mobility leads the extended ‘M’-visa would eliminate annual paperwork for sales teams covering China, cutting compliance costs by thousands of dollars per employee. Industry representatives from Brazil and South Africa welcomed the announcement but asked for reciprocal recognition of Brazil’s e-invoice and South Africa’s digital certificate systems to smooth customs formalities. Li said Beijing “supports mutual digital certification” and will explore pilot projects through the BRICS Business Council. Analysts expect the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to publish draft rules on the longer-validity ‘M’-visa before the National People’s Congress session in March, giving companies a timeline for policy advocacy.
Source: Xinhua via State Council portal
