China's short-term visa-free policy for French travelers is expected to boost development of the tourism industry of the two countries, said Olivier Gregory, a French travel website editor, in a recent interview with the China Global Television Network (CGTN). In November of last year, China announced a 15-day visa-free policy for short-term stays of French citizens in China, and Paris announced that Chinese holders of a master's degree obtained through study in France would be granted a five-year visa.
Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday announced to extend visa exemption entry for citizens from 12 countries including France on short-term visits to China until the end of 2025 when delivering a speech at the closing ceremony of the Sixth Meeting of the China-France Business Council in Paris, France, the first leg of his three-nation European tour.
Gregory said the policy is conducive to the tourism industry of both France and China, as many countries around the world have seen their tourism industry badly hit by the global COVID-19 pandemic.
"Indeed, after the COVID-19 outbreak, the world showed a tendency of contraction. I think many countries have seen their tourism industry suffering a serious decline," he said.
"I think the idea of introducing a 15-day visa-free policy is both a simple and efficient way to show again the attractive of the country both for business travel and also the tourism industry," he added.
China's visa-free policy for France to boost tourism of both countries: industry insider
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Sunday accredited China Media Group (CMG) broadcasting team for providing coverage of 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
A recognition ceremony was held at CMG Shanghai International Media Port where IOC president Thomas Bach and CMG president Shen Haixiong presented certificates to representatives and unveiled the logo for CMG's Olympic coverage.
A team of over 2,000 members, including journalists, editors, broadcasters, and technical support personnel, will be dispatched to provide broadcasting service for Paris Olympics which will be held from July 26 to August 11.
The CMG will produce the international broadcast signal for gymnastics, table tennis, badminton, and sport climbing, delivering over 400 hours of live coverage.
On Saturday, two CMG production vans equipped with 4K/8K B6 ultra-high-definition broadcast systems departed from Beijing and will be shipped from Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, before arriving in Paris by the end of July. This will mark the first-ever Olympic Games broadcast with 8K Ultra HD technology.
Prior to this, 1,256 pieces of broadcasting equipment, packed in 10 standard containers, were transported from the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port to the Port of Le Havre in France.
Sunday's ceremony also saw the launch of new programs dedicated to Paris Olympics, which will be aired 07:00 to 09:00 every morning from Monday on sports channel and new media platforms.
One year ago, the CMG was officially invited to become one of the main broadcasters for Paris 2024 after the Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) and the CMG signed a memorandum of understanding in Beijing to establish a long-term cooperation mechanism.
IOC president accredits CMG broadcasting team for Paris Olympics coverage
