Türkiye's Wednesday announcement of visa-free travel policy for Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports for tourism and transit has triggered an instant spike in travel interest, driving a sharp increase in flight searches on major Chinese travel platforms.
Under the new regulations signed by Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, Chinese travelers will be exempt from visa requirements for stays of up to 90 days within any 180-day period. The policy is set to take effect on Jan. 2.
Data from the online travel service provider Qunar show that since the policy was announced, search volumes for flights from the Chinese mainland to Türkiye have surged rapidly as of 10:00 on Thursday.
In particular, searches for flights to Türkiye's largest city of Istanbul increased by more than threefold compared with the previous week, while searches for popular tourist destinations including Antalya and Izmir have also grown exponentially.
"In terms of popular departure cities, the Top Ten most searched ones are Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, Xi'an, Chongqing and Xiamen, which all recorded week-on-week growth of over 200 percent," said Shi Ke, a researcher from big data research institute of Qunar.
Travel agencies are also feeling the trend. Previously, traveling to Türkiye would require an e-visa. With the entry into effect of the visa-free policy, travelers can save about 500 yuan (about 57.17 U.S. dollars) in visa fees and reduce documentation preparation and processing time, further enhancing travel convenience, according to Shanghai-based travel agency Spring Tour.
The visa-free regime, coupled with the extended nine-day Spring Festival holiday season in February 2026, is expected to continue stimulating demand for medium- and long-distance outbound travel.
Searches for Türkiye-only in-depth tours and combined itineraries linking Türkiye with Greece and Egypt saw a sharp rise on the platform of Spring Tour travel agency on Thursday morning, increasing by over 100 percent over the previous day.
Zhou Weihong, deputy general manager of Spring Tour, said that to match the upcoming extended Spring Festival holiday, more customized travel products will be rolled out to meet diverse customer demands.
Visa-free access to Türkiye drives surge in Chinese outbound travel interest
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi should apologize for and retreat her errouneous aggressive remarks on China's Taiwan region, as the rhetoric in her words could destabilize domestic society and harm Japan's relations with neighbors, Japanese scholars said recently.
Shinako Oyakawa, a lecturer at the Okinawa University who has long focused on security and peace issues, said that Takaichi' remarks are inflammatory, have seriously violated the spirit of Japan's pacifist constitution and caused harmful consequences for the public.
She said that Takaichi needs to issue a clear apology and formally retract her remarks.
Takaichi on November 7, 2025, made blatant and provocative remarks on Taiwan at the Diet, claiming that a Taiwan contingency could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, and implying that Japan might invoke the so-called "right to collective self-defense" for armed intervention across the Taiwan Strait.
"She made such remarks in parliament, the kind of rhetoric commonly used by the 'internet right wing,' sounding exactly like what people in that circle would say. Such remarks give the impression that they are ready to go to the battlefield, even willing to start a war. This kind of rhetoric is extremely dangerous," said Oyakawa.
Oyakawa said that the remarks have caused significant losses and both ruling and opposition parties have oversimplified the issue.
"The remarks have already caused significant damage in various aspects. The relevant figures are still being tallied, and the extent of the damage is truly unimaginable. Both the ruling and opposition parties have oversimplified the issue; or, their attitudes have been ambiguous, out of fear of facing it. However, this is not an issue that can be easily glossed over. She must issue a clear apology and formally retract her remarks," Oyakawa said.
Japan's history education has long avoided or distorted accounts of its wars of aggression launched by Japan against Asian neighbors, leaving few with a true understanding of historical facts. This, Oyakawa said, has further accelerated the overall rightward shift in Japanese society.
"As the number of war survivors dwindles, the practice of distorting history in Japan is becoming increasingly rampant. Almost no one knows about the suffering endured by our Asian neighbors. What the Japanese exactly did abroad and what war responsibility Japan bears are completely absent from textbooks," said Oyakawa.
As an Okinawan, Oyakawa said she strongly feels the government's military buildup has brought fear and anxiety to residents.
"Fighter jets and helicopters fly overhead everyday, and the roar of military aircraft becomes routine. On average, Okinawa experiences several plane crashes or incidents of falling parts each year. The militarization of Okinawa is escalating, bringing fear and unease to residents. I think that this situation must be stopped from further worsening," said Oyakawa.
Koichi Nakano, professor of political science at Sophia University, also criticized Takaichi's leadership, saying her team showed little consideration for relations with China and her remarks damage Japan-China relations and undermine Japan's own economic and social stability.
Nakano also said that Japanese society faces a serious problem, as awareness about and reflection on Japan's wartime aggression continue to fade. He stressed that only by facing up to history and engaging with neighboring countries on equal terms can Japan lay the groundwork for rebuilding ties with China.
"Japan's biggest problem is that the recognition of history with China is gradually fading. The sentiment of reflecting on the aggression history and apologizing for it has not been fully passed down between generations. More and more people are unaware of the historical facts, believing that 'that's all in the past' and that no further apology or remorse is necessary. This is an extremely serious issue. (The Japanese government should) build friendly relations on an equal footing, conduct objective and accurate mutual evaluations of the past and present, and rebuild bilateral relations," said Nakano.
Japanese prime minister should apologize, retract erroneous remarks on Taiwan: Japanese scholars
