HP News Desk

The Chinese government has issued draft regulations to make it easier for some foreigners to enter China to visit tourist sites along the Chinese border.

Tour groups organized by travel agencies in border areas in China can choose their ports of arrival and departure “flexibly,” the culture and tourism ministry said in a statement on Monday, without giving details of locations and dates.

China has closed its borders to foreign tourists since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in 2020, allowing only specific groups of foreign nationals to enter the country, such as those with certain work visas.

In recent months, rules have been gradually relaxed, from resuming more direct flights between China and some countries to allowing international students with valid residence permits to enter China to visit tourist. The quarantine for foreign arrivals has also been reduced. China borders more than 10 countries, including Pakistan, Russia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.

Chinese cities along the border are often hit by imported cases of COVID-19 linked to land crossings by foreigners and Chinese nationals.