BEIJING/JAKARTA, June 13 (Xinhua) -- China has added Indonesia to its 240-hour visa-free transit program, bringing the total number of eligible countries to 55, immigration authorities announced on Thursday.

Effective Thursday, Indonesian travelers who meet the stipulated criteria can enter through any of 60 ports across 24 provincial-level regions and stay in China for up to 240 hours, or 10 days, without a visa before heading to a third destination, according to the National Immigration Administration (NIA).

During the visa-free transit period, travelers are permitted to engage in tourism, business, exchange visits and family visits. However, the policy does not cover employment, study or journalistic activities, which still require appropriate visas, the NIA said.

The expansion came as part of China's efforts to deepen exchanges and cooperation with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

It is expected to boost bilateral cooperation, improve trade and investment efficiency, and foster cultural exchange and mutual understanding between China and Indonesia, said NIA officials.

TRAVEL MADE EASIER

Indonesian Ambassador to China Djauhari Oratmangun has welcomed the development, saying the policy will strengthen people-to-people connections, particularly in the tourism sector.

Anggi Oktari, a postgraduate student at Padjadjaran University in West Java, said the policy helps save on flight costs and allows her to enjoy China's beauty without the hassle of applying for a visa.

"I plan to travel to Central Asian countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. With this new policy, flying with a transit in China becomes a very appealing option," she said.

Dwidayatour, a travel agency in Jakarta, organizes around 10 tour groups to China each month, with about 20 people per group.

Elsa Febriani, one of its travel consultants, said that in the past, many passengers couldn't even leave the airport due to visa restrictions. "With this new policy, we can offer more leisure travel products and increase our sales," she said.

Sudarmanto, a document staff member at Gorumi Travel, another local agency, said the visa-free policy could encourage more Indonesians to visit Chinese cities.

"Personally, I'd love to use this opportunity to visit Harbin and Chongqing. I've heard Chongqing has amazing hotpot, which suits Indonesian tastes since we love spicy food," he said.

Fang Ruixing, a Chinese Indonesian in his 40s whose ancestral hometown is in Fujian, plans to take his two children to Shanghai Disney Resort.

He welcomed the visa-free transit policy but suggested that the 10-day stay could be extended further. "The longer, the better," he said. "China is such a large country that it doesn't make much sense to just transit through."

"I really hope China and Indonesia can eventually agree on a two-week mutual visa exemption. That would make it easier for overseas Chinese like me to take our children back to explore their cultural roots."

Previously, travelers from ASEAN countries could enter parts of China visa-free under a regional exemption scheme. That program allows group tourists to stay for up to six days in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province and Guilin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

Earlier this month, China introduced a five-year, multiple-entry visa policy for businesspeople from ASEAN member states and observer country Timor-Leste. The so-called "ASEAN visa" extends eligibility to spouses and children of applicants -- allowing stays of up to 180 days per visit.

EXPANDED BORDER ACCESS

Veronika Saraswati, director of the Indonesia-China Partnership Studies Institute, said that the new policy is in line with China's efforts to promote inclusive globalization and joint development. "It will ultimately bring benefits for regional and global peace and prosperity."

China has adjusted its visa rules to boost cross-border mobility and exchanges following the COVID-19 pandemic. In December 2024, authorities expanded the visa-free transit window from previous limits of 72 or 144 hours to 240 hours and increased the number of eligible ports by 21.

The coverage now includes regions rich in tourism resources and in cultural and ethnic heritage, such as north China's Shanxi Province, known as a filming location for "Black Myth: Wukong," east China's Jiangxi Province, famous for its porcelain heritage, and Guizhou Province in southwest China, home to multiple world natural heritage sites.

Additionally, travelers under the visa-free transit program can now travel between multiple destinations within designated regions. In provinces such as Anhui in the east, Hainan in the south, and Guizhou in the southwest, the entire provincial area is now accessible under a single itinerary.

China has also expanded its unilateral visa-free access program, allowing travelers from 47 countries to stay for up to 30 days. Recent additions include countries in Latin America and the Gulf region, such as Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

These sweeping policy changes have facilitated travel to China, fueling a surge in online content and interest around "China Travel," particularly on platforms like YouTube.

In 2024, international travelers made 64.88 million cross-border trips to China, up 82.9 percent year on year. More than 20 million of these were visa-free entries, marking a 112.3 percent increase from the previous year, the NIA revealed.

Notably, during the recent three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday, 231,000 foreigners entered China without a visa -- an increase of 59.4 percent compared to a year earlier.