China has announced it will issue five-year multiple-entry visas for qualified businesspeople from the Philippines, nine other members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and observer Timor-Leste. This new program, confirmed by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Tuesday, aims to further facilitate cross-border travel and strengthen regional ties.

The “ASEAN visa” grants a maximum stay of 180 days per visit and can also be extended to the spouses and children of business travelers. Lin Jian emphasized that the initiative is part of China’s commitment to building a community with a shared future with ASEAN, recognizing the frequent exchanges between their peoples and the mutual desire for easier travel.

This move effectively expands a similar five-year, multiple-entry visa program previously extended to businesspeople from Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam – countries within the Mekong-Lancang River Basin. Now, it includes the Philippines, Brunei, and Indonesia.

The announcement comes as China has been consistently expanding its visa facilitation policies. Starting June 1, China’s unilateral visa-free program was extended to ordinary passport holders from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay on a trial basis. This brings the total number of countries with unilateral visa-free entry to China to 43, demonstrating China’s “firm resolve in expanding high-level opening up,” according to Lin. China also recently granted visa-free status to all GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries.

These measures are part of China’s broader effort to foster an open global economy. Lin Jian highlighted that in the first quarter of 2025, China saw over 9 million visits by foreigners, a more than 40% year-on-year increase. Additionally, over 18,000 foreign-invested companies were established in China in the first four months, up by 12.1% year-on-year.

Lin confirmed that China will continue to improve its entry policies and add more countries to its visa-free list, welcoming more foreign friends to visit for “excellent purchase experience, diverse consumption scenarios and more convenient services,” and reinforcing China’s commitment to “greater openness and deeper cooperation for shared prosperity with the rest of the world.” Visa applicants from the Philippines may contact the Chinese Embassy in Manila for more information.