China adds Indonesia to 240-hour visa-free transit program, expands list to 55 countries

China has added Indonesia to its 240-hour visa-free transit program, bringing the total number of countries eligible for the policy to 55, immigration authorities announced on Thursday.

Effective Thursday, eligible Indonesian travelers holding a valid international travel document and a connected passenger ticket with a confirmed date and seat can enter China through any of the 60 ports across 24 provincial-level regions in the Chinese mainland and stay in the country up to 240 hours, or 10 days, without a visa before heading to a third destination, according to the National Immigration Administration.

The policy is part of China's broader efforts to boost international travel and exchanges.

China adds Indonesia to 240-hour visa-free transit program, expands list to 55 countries

China adds Indonesia to 240-hour visa-free transit program, expands list to 55 countries

China adds Indonesia to 240-hour visa-free transit program, expands list to 55 countries

China adds Indonesia to 240-hour visa-free transit program, expands list to 55 countries

Chinese stocks closed higher on Monday, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index up 0.16 percent to 4,086.34 points.

The Shenzhen Component Index closed 0.37 percent higher at 14,995.75 points.

The combined turnover of the two indices totaled 2.59 trillion yuan (about 377.7 billion U.S. dollars), down from 2.64 trillion yuan on the previous trading day.

The semiconductor and memory chip sectors led the gains, while the liquor and agriculture sectors were among the biggest decliners.

The ChiNext Index, tracking China's Nasdaq-style board of growth enterprises, lost 0.52 percent to close at 3,648.79 points.

The STAR Composite Index, which reflects the performance of stocks on China's sci-tech innovation board, closed 2.5 percent higher at 1,901.63 points.

Chinese shares close higher Monday