Visa-free policy for 5 Latin American countries takes effect

China's unilateral visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay took effect Sunday, with Latin American tourists flocking in.

The visa-free policy takes effect from June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026, in a bid to facilitate people-to-people exchanges.

"I think it's a great opportunity for South American people. China and South America have great relationships and this will help to grow both countries and both nations," said a Peruvian tourist entering Shenzhen from West Kowloon Station, the Hong Kong terminus of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong High-Speed Rail in south China.

"I think it's amazing, because we can go back and forth. It makes both of the countries generate a better partnership together," an Argentine visitor said at the station.

"So I didn't need to apply for the visa. I'm really happy with this. I will come back sooner probably," echoed a Brazilian tourist.

The West Kowloon Station, serving as a vital transport hub connecting China's mainland and Hong Kong, allows passengers to go through both mainland and Hong Kong border checks in one place within minutes.

According to data from China Immigration at the station, about 550,000 foreign travelers had crossed the station this year as of May 31, a 33 percent year-on-year growth.

"More than 115,000 visits made by foreigners are covered by the visa-free policy, marking a 1.2-fold increase year on year. Most of the visa-free policy beneficiaries came for tourism, business, or family visits, with travelers from the United States, Singapore, and Malaysia ranking as the top three nationalities," said Huang Chun, a China Immigration officer at the Shenzhen side of the West Kowloon Station.

About 10,000 foreign entries are expected at the West Kowloon Station during the ongoing three-day Dragon Boat Festival, which runs from Saturday through Monday.

Visa-free policy for 5 Latin American countries takes effect

Visa-free policy for 5 Latin American countries takes effect

The death toll from a landfill collapse in the central Philippine city of Cebu has risen to eight by Monday morning as search and rescue operations continued for another 28 missing people.

The landfill collapse occurred on Thursday as dozens of sanitation workers were working at the site. The disaster has already caused injuries of 18 people.

Family members of the missing people said the rescue progress is slow, and the hope for the survival of their loved ones is fading.

"For me, maybe I’ve accepted the worst result already because the garbage is poisonous and yesterday, it was raining very hard the whole day. Maybe they’ve been poisoned. For us, alive or dead, I hope we can get their bodies out of the garbage rubble," said Maria Kareen Rubin, a family member of a victim.

Families have set up camps on high ground near the landfill, awaiting news of their relatives. Some people at the site said cries for help could still be heard hours after the landfill collapsed, but these voices gradually faded away.

Bienvenido Ranido, who lost his wife in the disaster, said he can't believe all that happened.

"After they gave my wife oxygen, my kids and I were expecting that she would be saved that night because she was still alive. But the night came and till the next morning, they didn't manage to save her," he said.

Death toll in central Philippine landfill collapse rises to eight