Ningbo, a port city in east China's Zhejiang Province, has held colorful cultural events for international sailors who arrive visa-free, allowing them to immerse themselves in Chinese lifestyle and cultural heritage.
China has relaxed visa-free transit to attract more overseas tourists since last year. The permitted stay for eligible foreign travelers was extended from 72 and 144 hours to 240 or 10 days in December last year. Eligible citizens from 54 countries, including Russia, Brazil, Britain, the United States, and Canada, can now enter China visa-free when transiting to a third country or region under the updated policy.
On Wednesday, four seamen were invited to experience lion dance, a Chinese traditional art form that combines martial arts and lion-costumed rhythmic dance.
Their host, Shen Haidi, is an inheritor of the "Meishan Lion Dance," one of Ningbo's municipal intangible cultural heritage. He performed and coached them to try the dance in his courtyard.
"I felt very good, because for me, it's a good pleasure to meet the new culture and [develop] a deeper understanding of Chinese culture," said Robert, a sailor.
Ningbo receives about 270,000 stopovers every year from international sailors who come on cargo ships.
Local authorities have helped facilitate travel for seamen, including streamlining entry procedures, improving transportation networks, offering more information services, and introducing financial services, so as to enable the international guests to learn more about China.
China's port city Ningbo holds cultural events for visa-free sailors
China is willing to strengthen communication, enhance trust, eliminate interference, and deepen cooperation with Canada to bring bilateral relations forward on a steady and sound track in solid strides under the new circumstances, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, met with Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand in Beijing on the day.
Referring to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's visit to China, the first by a Canadian prime minister in eight years, Wang said the trip marks a milestone in bilateral ties and signals a turning point in the relationship.
The leaders of the two countries will hold meetings and talks, which are expected to open up new prospects for bilateral relations, said Wang.
The world today is undergoing profound and complex changes, and the impact of China-Canada relations transcends the bilateral scope, Wang noted.
Wang said that China and Canada have different social systems, stemming from different historical and cultural heritage, and based on the choices of their respective people.
He urged both sides to view each other in a rational and amicable manner with an inclusive mindset, handle issues on the basis of mutual respect, focus on the agenda of cooperation, and send positive messages so as to foster optimism, inject greater confidence into the development of bilateral relations, and jointly build a new type of strategic partnership between China and Canada.
Anand said the new Canadian government attaches great importance to relations with China. She also added that Prime Minister Carney looks forward to engaging in in-depth exchanges with Chinese leaders during the visit to set the course for the development of bilateral relations, resume dialogue in various fields, pursue more mutually beneficial outcomes, enhance coordination and cooperation in multilateral affairs, and further advance the strategic partnership between the two countries.
China ready to work for steady, sound ties with Canada: FM
