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CHINESE Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lin Jian announced that the Chinese government has launched an ASEAN visa for businesspeople from the 10 ASEAN member countries and Timor-Leste, an ASEAN observer.
According to Channel News Asia, Lin stated that the ASEAN visa is part of China’s efforts to strengthen relations with Southeast Asian countries, encourage personnel exchanges, and promote cross-border economic cooperation.
The visa allows its holders, as well as their spouses and children, to make multiple visits to China within a five-year period. The maximum stay for each visit is 180 days.
This visa is also a continuation of previous programs, such as the Lancang-Mekong Visa, which was launched in November 2024 and offers similar benefits to businesspeople from countries along the Mekong River.
Lin stated that frequent visits between Chinese and Southeast Asian communities demonstrate a shared desire to promote cross-border mobility in the region.
According to Antara on June 3, 2025, the launch of the ASEAN visa is part of a larger initiative. The Chinese government continues to expand visa-free policies and simplify entry permits as part of its global economic openness strategy.
To date, China has provided unilateral visa-free access to 43 countries, including Latin American countries such as Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay, as well as Gulf countries that are members of the GCC, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The ASEAN visa launched by China adds to the list of Asian countries that waive visas for Indonesian citizens, although it is specifically for businesspeople.
According to the Visa Index website, here is a list of Asian countries that waive visas for Indonesian passport holders: (1). Brunei Darussalam, (2). Philippines, (3). Hong Kong, (4). Iran, (5). Japan, (6). Cambodia, (7). Kazakhstan (8). Laos (9). Macau (10). Malaysia (11). Myanmar (12). Singapore (13). Tajikistan, (14). Thailand, (15). Timor-Leste (16). Turkey, (17). Uzbekistan, (18). Vietnam, (19). China (businesspeople only). [tempo.co/photo special]
