China’s economic need and soft diplomacy spur about-face on visa-free entry

Tourists at the Temple of Heaven complex in Beijing this month. Visitor numbers to China are still only about two-thirds of pre-pandemic levels. Photograph: Aaron Favila/AP

A few years ago, getting a visa to visit China was a “ball ache”, says Kate Murray. The Australian was going for a four-day trade show, but the visa required a formal invitation from the organisers and what felt like “a thousand forms”.

“They wanted so many details about your life and personal life,” she tells the Guardian. “The paperwork was bonkers.”