ISTANBUL: (Bernama-Anadolu) Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Monday (Feb 16) that Canada is "renewing” its relationship with China after Beijing announced visa-free travel for Canadian citizens, calling the move a key outcome of a new phase in bilateral engagement, Anadolu Ajansi reported.
"We’re renewing Canada’s relationship with China. As part of our new strategic partnership, China is granting visa-free travel for Canadians,” Carney wrote on the social media platform X, describing the policy as a tangible sign of improving ties.
China’s Foreign Ministry said Sunday that ordinary passport holders from Canada and the UK will be allowed visa-free entry starting Feb 17, 2026. The policy will permit stays of up to 30 days for business, tourism, family visits, exchanges and transit.
"To further facilitate cross-border travel, China decides to, starting from Feb 17, 2026, extend its visa waiver policy to ordinary passport holders from Canada and the UK,” the ministry said, adding that the measure will remain in effect until Dec 31, 2026.
The decision follows Carney’s January visit to Beijing, where he met President Xi Jinping and "welcomed [the president's] commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China,” according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer reached agreements on people-to-people exchanges during a separate visit.
Canada’s Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand said on X that the change is making "travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries.”
The visa waiver marks a shift after years of diplomatic tensions, during which Beijing maintained visa requirements for Canadians and restricted Chinese tourism groups traveling to Canada.
Most Canadian travellers previously faced a lengthy application process and about US$140 in fees to enter China.
The renewed engagement has also coincided with broader economic negotiations, including an agreement allowing tens of thousands of Chinese electric vehicles into Canada in exchange for tariff relief on Canadian agricultural products such as canola seeds.
China has expanded visa-free entry to several Western nations in recent years as part of efforts to revive tourism and international travel following the Covid-19 pandemic. - Bernama-Anadolu
