The Chinese government’s recent announcement to waive visa requirements for South Korean citizens seems aimed at easing relations ahead of a possible S. Korea-China summit next year and preparing for changes following the U.S. presidential election.
The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is scheduled to be held in Gyeongju, Gyeongsangbuk-do, in late October or early November 2025, where Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s visit to S. Korea and a potential summit with S. Korea are anticipated. This is the first time S. Korea has been included in China’s visa-exempt countries since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1992. Notably, this is a unilateral decision by China and not a mutual visa exemption with South Korea.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “To enhance travel convenience between Chinese and foreign citizens, we are expanding the list of countries eligible for visa-free entry.”
Starting from Nov. 8, ordinary passport holders from S. Korea and eight other countries will be able to enter China without a visa under this temporary policy, which will be in place until Dec. 31 next year, with the potential to become permanent. Currently, China unilaterally grants visa-free entry to citizens of 29 countries.
This move is widely viewed as a gesture of goodwill toward S. Korea. Apart from S. Korea, the eight newly added visa-exempt countries are mainly European nations, such as Norway, Finland, and Denmark. Notably, Japan, often grouped with S. Korea in China’s foreign policy, was excluded. While China has previously allowed S. Korean travelers to stay for up to 144 hours in transit to a third country, this is the first time a full visa waiver has been implemented.
Analysts suggest that this policy reflects China’s efforts to navigate its ties with S. Korea amid concerns over closer trilateral relations with the U.S. and Japan following the U.S. election. A diplomatic source noted, “China has been negotiating visa waiver measures with S. Korea since early this year, out of concern that closer U.S.-Japan-S. Korea ties could lead to greater distance between Seoul and Beijing.”
Also, high-level exchanges between the two countries have picked up pace this year, beginning with Chinese Premier Li Qiang’s visit to S. Korea for the trilateral summit in May, followed by a security dialogue in June and the inaugural S. Korea-China Future Forum on Oct. 17. Moreover, with North Korea and Russia deepening their military ties and relations between North Korea and China worsening, Beijing might be sending a warning signal to Pyongyang by strengthening its relationship with S. Korea ahead of the upcoming APEC summit.
Some also view this as an economic move by China, as the country faces economic downturns and needs foreign investment and inbound travelers. Given that S. Korea and China used to see over 10 million mutual visitors annually, the visa waiver is expected to yield significant economic benefits.
Sun Shuwei, a visiting scholar at Zhejiang Normal University, commented, “The visa waiver for S. Koreans is likely to lead to a surge in travel demand between S. Korea and China at the end of the year and the beginning of next year, fostering S. Korean business and tourism in China.”
As this was not a reciprocal visa waiver, China reportedly deliberated the measure until the last moment. An official from the South Korean Embassy in Beijing stated, “The Chinese Foreign Ministry announced the policy without prior notice to the embassy,” an official stated, adding that “discussions on implementing this measure will begin on Nov. 4.” The official also mentioned that individuals with criminal records may be excluded from the visa waiver, with further details still under review.
