It’s scarcely the Chinese government’s top priority right now, but
it continues to matter to businesspeople: Beijing’s apparent tightening
of visa policy last month.
Numerous travelers and chambers of commerce have reported that
applications for multiple-entry business visas and rush services have
been refused and that validity periods on approved visas have been
shortened. Now it seems the prospects of the government easing the
rules are slim.
Getting into China has been getting harder ahead of the Olympics (AP photo)
In a rare signed letter to the editor, published in Hong Kong’s
South China Morning Post, Song Ronghua, of the Office of the
Commissioner of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong,
acknowledged Wednesday that “China’s visa policy has caused concern in
the Hong Kong media and business community.”
“One thing must be made clear–there is no change in China’s
opening-up policy, nor in its visa policy in line with this policy,”
Mr. Song wrote. “Recently, some appropriate arrangements for issuance
of visas have been made with reference to practices of previous hosting
countries of the Olympics and other major international sporting
events.” He confirmed that applicants are now required to provide an
invitation letter, a certificate of relationship, hotel vouchers and
onward and return tickets.
“As for the issuance of multiple-entry visas, they are still
available for those applicants in need and who are qualified,” Mr. Song
added. He said applications would be considered on a “case by case”
basis, and said that an express service was still available–contrary to
some travelers’ and chambers of commerce reports. (The latest
requirements are being posted on this site).
In sum, Mr. Song wrote, “compared with most other countries, it is more convenient to get a Chinese visa.”
This all comes as cold comfort to Randy, a Shenzhen-based American
expatriate who says he has been living in China for the past six years
and is now being “forced out.” Randy, who didn’t give his full name for
fear of retribution by the authorities, recently tried to apply for a
visa notification letter–one of the new required documents–at the
Foreign Affairs Office in Shenzhen.
Randy says he brought a properly signed and chopped invitation
letter, only to be given another list of eight documents he would need
to supply. Even if he had all eight documents, he reports being told,
the visa notification letter would be issued only “in cases of extreme
circumstances,” and that he should hope for no more than a
double-entry, 60-day visa. The visa officer said “no more multi-entry
business visas are being issued,” Randy says.
The kicker: Randy says the visa officer told him that if he wanted
to continue living in China, he would have to find a large Chinese
company willing to sponsor him for a Z-class working visa–or marry a
Chinese woman.
“I’ve concluded that for all practical purposes, the F-class
business visa is effectually dead,” Randy says. “I’d say the situation
has become very nervous here for foreigners passing into China these
days.”
The great visa debate was on in Hong Kong’s legislature Wednesday,
after local tycoon and lawmaker David Li tried to pry more details out
of the Hong Kong government during a council meeting. Officials here,
however, are hewing closely to Beijing’s script, insisting that China
“welcomes foreigners coming to the Mainland for travel, business and
visit,” and that applying for a mainland visa “has all along been very
convenient.”
“Genuine visitors to the Mainland and those attending the Olympic
Games will not be affected,” Hong Kong Secretary for Security Ambrose
Lee wrote Mr. Li in a written reply. No word on what is meant by
“genuine visitors,” but Mr. Lee was widely quoted last month warning
that undesirables and Olympic party-crashers wouldn’t be welcome in
Hong Kong.
Mr. Lee at least acknowledged the troubles foreign travelers have
been facing, saying Hong Kong’s government “understands that Hong Kong
permanent residents who are foreign nationals wish to have continued
convenience when traveling to and from the Mainland for business
activities,” and that it “has conveyed the views and concerns of the
Hong Kong business community on the Mainland visa arrangements to the
relevant Central authorities.”
Another option, Mr. Lee noted: business travelers from Asia Pacific
Economic Cooperation economies (which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, in
addition to the People’s Republic of China) can apply for a business
travel card, which normally allows for three years of visa-less,
multiple visits of two to three months to participating economies.
According to Mr. Lee, Hong Kong’s Immigration Department “has not
recently received any notice that the Mainland will cease processing of
the relevant applications.”
