SHENZHEN is poised to see a significant increase in international arrivals as China extends its visa-free policy to more South American countries.

Starting June 1, travelers holding ordinary passports from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay will be able to enter China without a visa and stay for up to 30 days for tourism, business, family visits, or transit.

This one-year pilot program is the latest of China’s efforts to deepen people-to-people exchanges and economic ties with South America.

Situated on opposite sides of the globe, travel between Latin America and China once presented significant challenges, stemming not only from visa complexities but also vast distances.

Nowadays, however, increased air connectivity coupled with relaxed visa restrictions have brought these distant lands much closer. In 2024, a direct flight connecting Mexico City, Mexico, and Shenzhen was launched. Covering more than 14,000 km, it is the longest direct international passenger route from China.

Other routes, such as Beijing-Madrid-São Paulo, Beijing-Madrid-Havana, and Beijing-Tijuana-Mexico City, have also strengthened links between China and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC).

Data from online travel platforms show huge potential for inbound tourism from the five Latin American countries. This year, Ctrip, a leading Chinese online travel platform, reported a 168% year-on-year increase in inbound tourism orders from Argentina, while orders from both Brazil and Chile grew by over 80%.

In 2024, Shenzhen’s foreign trade with Latin America topped 212 billion yuan (US$29.4 billion), a year-on-year increase of 22.6%.

As of May 19 this year, Shenzhen checkpoints had recorded 2.64 million foreign travelers, a year-on-year increase of 41%, among whom 560,000 entered visa-free, a year-on-year increase of 105%, official data show. (SD News)