Following a four-year suspension, China will again start allowing visa-free travel for Japanese nationals visiting the country for up to 30 days from Nov. 30, the Foreign Ministry in Beijing announced on Friday. The exemption — announced along with similar measures for several other countries — will continue through the end of 2025.

A Japan-China summit meeting is scheduled to be held on the sidelines of the upcoming APEC meeting in Peru. How will the visa issue be discussed there? As with the Fukushima food controversy, the question is whether the Chinese side is proactive in seeking a compromise that all sides can accept.

China will expand its visa-free arrangements to include Japan, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro and other countries, effective from Nov. 30, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2025, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Travellers will be allowed to remain for up to 30 days in China without a visa from November 30 China has added Japan to its visa-free entry scheme, allowing Japanese visitors to stay for up to 30 days without an entry permit,