Once considered one of the world's countries most closed to foreigners, China has taken significant steps over the last year to open up to tourists.
The Chinese government initially launched a new visa-free pilot program for a select number of mostly EU nations but, after a successful uptake that provided a much-needed boost to China's tourism industry post-pandemic, kept adding new countries to the list of those that can come for shorts visits with just a plane ticket and a passport.
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State Department lowers Chinese travel advisory to 'exercise increased caution'
While a U.S. passport is not on the list of those approved for visa-free travel to China, the country has made it easier for Americans to come. While they once had to have confirmed tickets and a hotel stay before applying for a visa, obtaining one as of January 2024 now requires only submitting biographical information and work history at a Chinese consulate. As part of the "72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy," Americans can also visit cities such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, Shanghai and Guangdong visa-free for short transit periods.
The U.S. State Department has, in turn, responded by lowering its travel advisory for mainland China from Level Three's "reconsider travel" to Level Two's "exercise increased caution." The four-tier rating system ranges from countries where one does not need to be any more careful than at home to Level Four's "avoid travel," which is usually assigned to authoritarian governments and countries with active war zones.
While the State Department's page for China still states that its ruling party has a history of "arbitrarily enforc[ing] local laws, including exit bans on U.S. citizens," a government representative told Politico that the country's steps toward easing travel restrictions "was a factor" in lowering its own advisory.
The updated rating puts China in the same category as European countries like France and Germany, which are higher than "exercise normal precautions" due to the risk of terrorism and holiday destinations frequently visited by Americans, such as Mexico. The latter is a Level Two federally but has higher ratings for individual states with higher crime rates.
Related: China expands visa-free travel access to nine more countries
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The State Department's rating for the territory of Macau remains at "reconsider travel" due to lack of consular services if something goes wrong, while Hong Kong was already at level two before the change was made for mainland China.
"If you decide to travel to Mainland China, enter the People's Republic of China on your U.S. passport with a valid PRC visa and keep it with you," reads the travel advisory that also reminds Americans to "be aware of your surroundings" and "exercise caution in the vicinity of large gatherings or protests."
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Among the last-minute changes adopted before the Trump administration takes over in January, the move was subject to heavy criticism from Republican lawmakers arguing that the government should not waver from its harsh stance against the Chinese government.
John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), a member of the House Select Committee on China, issued a statement saying that the rating should only come down when China "ends its practice of arbitrarily detaining American citizens or placing exit bans on them."
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