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The Chinese may return to Singapore in droves to shop<\/strong>. Before the pandemic, Middle- Kingdom tourists were the first foreign population to visit the City-State. That is to say, 3.6 million visitors in 2019<\/strong> left some 3.09 billion dollar<\/strong>s in the coffers of hotels, restaurants, and stores in Singapore …<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n But since the irruption of the covid, the Chinese<\/strong>, under house arrest, had deserted this prosperous island rich in luxury offer. But if they are again authorized to travel outside<\/strong> their borders since the beginning of the year, they still do not benefit from ideal conditions to go to Singapore<\/strong>. Their visit is still subject to a visa.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Singaporean travelers,<\/strong> exempted from this requirement for less than two-week trips, must now apply for a visa to travel to China<\/strong>. This has created a bottleneck at the Chinese visa application center in the City-State.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n But these cumbersome processes could soon be considerably eased. The Beijing Embassy in Singapore has revealed that China is finalizing a bilateral visa waiver agreement with the city-state…<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This is an opportunity to revitalize exchanges on favorable terrain. The two countries already have very close ties: three-quarters of Singapore’s population (a total of 4 million citizens and permanent residents<\/strong> out of approximately 5.6 million inhabitants) are of Chinese origin<\/strong>. Many of them speak Mandarin and have settled in recent years, acquiring luxurious homes and investing locally.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n According to a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Singapore, this double visa exemption is “eagerly awaited” by citizens of both countries.<\/strong> It is “also a common concern of the leaders of both countries.” So the deal is likely to go well.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n This a priori unnatural arrangement between the communist giant and the City-State<\/strong>, a paradise for capitalism and big money, should further promote the prosperity of the latter. And it should make it more than ever an unavoidable destination for luxury brands.<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\nVisas on the way out<\/h2>\n
Exemption eagerly awaited<\/h2>\n