China & Malaysia Agree to Review Visa-Free Travel Arrangements for Each Other’s Citizens – VisaGuide.News

China and Malaysia have recently pledged to review visa-free travel arrangements set to expire in the coming months during a visit by Chinese Premier Li Qiang to commemorate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

They have also agreed to renew a significant five-year economic and trade cooperation pact, VisaGuide.World reports.

The aforementioned program was initially introduced in 2013 and is now extended until 2028. It holds promising prospects for strategic cooperation in various sectors. These include trade and investment, agriculture, manufacturing, infrastructure, and financial services.

Exports of Fresh Durians From Malaysia to China Are Now Allowed

At the same time, China agreed to allow imports of fresh durian from Malaysia after sanitary requirements were met.

Known as one of the world’s largest producers of prickly and stinky fruit, Malaysia was previously only allowed to send all its frozen fruit and products to China, with exports valued at RM1.19 billion (S$340 million) in 2023. Since 2009, China has been Malaysia’s largest trading partner, so the Foreign Ministry said total trade was estimated at US$98.9 billion ($133.5 billion) in 2023.

In addition, this is the third leg of a trip for Li, as he has also visited New Zealand and Australia, with which recently reached an agreement on visa-free travel. As a result, China seeks to expand its influence and investment in the Asia Pacific amid geopolitical tensions and competition with the United States.

He is also expected to meet Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim and attend an opening ceremony at a construction site for the East Coast Rail Link (ECRL), part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

According to him, the 665km (413-mile), RM50 billion Railway will connect the east and west coasts of Peninsular Malaysia by the end of 2026.

Malaysian Visitors Can Visit China for 30 Days Until 2025

Last month, the Malaysian Ambassador to China, Datuk Norman Muhamad, revealed that China extended its visa-free travel for Malaysian tourists from 15 to 30 days until the end of 2025.

Following the day when this decision was implemented, China’s National Immigration Administration revealed that 1,113 Malaysians had entered the country.

However, in 2023, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced a 30-day visa exemption for tourists from China and India starting December 1, 2023, valid until the end of December 2024. Previously, China also started permitting visa-free entry for Malaysian citizens from December 1 until November 30, 2024.

Malaysian authorities said that it is foreseen that the country could welcome around five million Chinese visitors by this year. They further noted that such a target is based on the current frequency of more than 247 weekly flights with nearly 4.9 million seats from China to Kuala Lumpur.