Canada Renews Ties with China After Visa-Free Travel Announcement
“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 US-based social media platform X, portraying the policy change as clear evidence of warming relations.
According to a statement from Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, holders of ordinary passports from Canada and the United Kingdom will be eligible for visa-free entry beginning Feb. 17, 2026. The arrangement will allow visits of up to 30 days for purposes such as business, tourism, family trips, exchanges, and transit.
“To further facilitate cross-border travel, China decides to, starting from February 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 announcement came after Carney traveled to Beijing in January, where he met with Xi Jinping. In a statement issued by the prime minister’s office, it was noted that he “welcomed [the president's] commitment to introducing visa-free access for Canadians travelling to China.”
Separately, Keir Starmer reached understandings on expanding people-to-people exchanges during his own visit to China.
Canada’s foreign minister, Anita Anand, said on X that the updated policy is making “travel easier, supporting business exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people ties between our countries.”
The visa exemption signals a notable change after several years of strained diplomatic relations, a period during which China maintained visa requirements for Canadian citizens and limited organized tourism from China to Canada. Previously, most Canadian visitors had to undergo a lengthy application procedure and pay approximately $140 in fees to secure entry into China.
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