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Kuala Lumpur , July 18th – An agreement allowing Chinese and Malaysian citizens to visit each other’s countries visa-free for up to 30 days per trip takes effect on Thursday. The deal covers both tourism and business travel and is expected to further boost economic and cultural exchanges between the two nations.

Night or day, the Petronas Twin Towers are a top tourist draw. And increasingly those tourists are from China.

Starting late in 2023, first China, then Malaysia, started allowing visa-free entry for each other’s citizens, though initially only for a maximum 15 days and with no guarantee how long the policy would last.

RIAN MAELZER Kuala Lumpur: “On Thursday an agreement came into effect to formalize the mutual visa waiver. It allows people to visit the two countries for tourism or business for up to 30 days at a time and a total of 90 days every six months. Malaysia’s government says the deal will be in effect for five years with an option to extend for a further five.”

Chinese national Keith Li runs an agency specializing in travel between China and Malaysia.

Keith Li , also President of China Entrepreneurs’ Association in Malaysia : “This announcement is both timely and highly welcomed. It’s really a positive step that fosters the stronger ties between the two nations.”

Visitor arrivals from China to Malaysia are up by more than a third so far this year, eclipsing pre-pandemic numbers. Individual travellers and families have particularly benefitted from the visa waivers.

HONG NA Chinese Tourist “Before, getting a visa required planning months ahead – it was a hassle. Now, we can just pack our bags and go whenever we want.”

ECHO LIU Chinese Tourist “This is our first overseas trip. We were nervous about visas and language barriers, but everything has been smooth!”

It’s not a one-way street, with Malaysian visitors to China also hitting record numbers.

And with the visa-waiver policy now cemented, more Chinese and Malaysians than ever before will find it easy to discover and explore each other countries.(Rian Maelzer, CGTN, Kuala Lumpur)