Visa-Free China entry for Armenians and Georgians: When will Azerbaijanis follow?
By Tural Tagiyev
It is known that citizens of Armenia and Georgia can travel to China without a visa.
The visa-free agreement was signed by the foreign ministers of both countries on May 26, 2019. Although it came into effect on January 19, 2020, the agreement was suspended for two months starting January 31 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the end of March, a decision was made to extend the ban for another two months, until May 31.
There are also temporary restrictions. For example, if an Armenian citizen plans to stay in China for more than 90 days, they must obtain a visa in advance. Overall, China has pleased the citizens of the smallest and least prosperous country in the South Caucasus regarding visa matters.
China also has a more lenient policy towards another neighbor, Georgia. In February this year, China announced its decision to introduce a visa-free regime for Georgian citizens. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced at a government meeting that after the agreement comes into force, citizens will be able to stay in China without a visa for 30 days. In April, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Khvtisiashvili announced that from May 28, Georgian citizens will be able to enter China without a visa.
Since September 12, 2023, Georgia has introduced a visa-free regime for Chinese citizens, allowing them to enter Georgia for tourism purposes and stay there for up to 30 days. In general, the relaxation of China's visa policy towards both Caucasian countries is evident.
When will Azerbaijani citizens be able to travel to China without the need to collect visa documents? Azerbaijan has recently made significant contributions to facilitating travel for Chinese citizens to our country and extending their stay. On July 3rd, a one-year visa-free regime was implemented for Chinese nationals. This was recorded in the "Joint Declaration on Establishing Strategic Partnership between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the People's Republic of China," adopted at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit in Astana.
According to clause 3.6 of the declaration, both parties express their readiness to strengthen cooperation in the tourism sector and contribute to its development. The declaration states that China welcomes Azerbaijan's participation in the annual China International Tourism Fair and other tourism exhibitions. Additionally, the Chinese side highly appreciates Azerbaijan's decision to implement a one-year unilateral visa-free regime for Chinese citizens, aimed at fostering tourism and further expanding economic, humanitarian, and cultural ties. Both parties intend to continue supporting efforts to facilitate mutual travel for their citizens.
Interestingly, after the introduction of the visa-free regime, there was a sharp increase in interest in tourist products related to Azerbaijan on Chinese online platforms. According to the "Global Times," on July 4, the volume of searches for tourist products related to Azerbaijan increased by 50%. It is reported that the number of travel orders to Azerbaijan in early July this year increased by 85% compared to the same period last year. The total volume of travel orders to the Caucasus countries - Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Armenia - increased by 103%.
Until July 4, there was also an increase in orders for air tickets from China to Azerbaijan by 336%.
Tourism expert Ruslan Guliev stated in an interview with News.az that China could take the desired steps in this matter for Azerbaijan.
"Implementation of visa-free entry will take some time. International experience shows that visa exemption always happens on a bilateral basis. Azerbaijan's gesture can be considered an exception. I am sure that gradually positive steps will be taken in this direction for us. In the near future, perhaps as early as next year, the visa-free regime will be applied to Azerbaijanis, as it has already been done for our neighbors," the expert noted.
R. Guliev said that Azerbaijan's gesture in the visa issue is indeed very important.
"This decision will positively affect the development of the local market and the tourism sector, as well as significantly contribute to the development of tourism. The Chinese market is very specific, and tourists from China are particularly interested in historical and cultural tours. They prefer long tours, and Azerbaijan is advantageous for tourists even as a transit country. The abolition of visas for Chinese citizens on the Silk Road routes in the Caucasus allows attracting more tourists. The state's approach to this issue is also very important," the expert stated.
It should be noted that cooperation between Azerbaijan and China is developing along an upward trajectory, and the introduction of a one-year visa-free regime for Chinese citizens is a significant step in this direction. Perhaps in the future, China will decide to ease the visa regime for Azerbaijani citizens, which will open up new opportunities for economic, cultural, and tourism exchanges between the two countries. Positive changes in visa policy can contribute to strengthening ties and increasing tourist flow, which will benefit both parties. It remains to be hoped that in the near future, Azerbaijani citizens will be able to enjoy more simplified conditions for trips to China, which will positively impact the further development of bilateral relations.
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