China confirmed that Canadian and British citizens will be able to visit the country visa-free from February 17, after the two countries' leaders announced such agreements following official trips to Beijing.

British and Canadian prime ministers Keir Starmer and Mark Carney both visited Beijing in January, seeking to bolster relations with China and pivot from the increasingly mercurial United States.

Both leaders had hailed progress following meetings with top Chinese leaders including President Xi Jinping, on issues like visa-free access for their citizens to China. 

Beijing's ministry of foreign affairs confirmed these agreements on Sunday, saying Canadian and British citizens will be able to travel to China visa-free from Tuesday, with the policy in effect until December 31.

"Holders of ordinary passports from these countries can enter China without a visa for business, tourism, visiting relatives and friends, exchanges, or transit for a period not exceeding 30 days," it said in a statement.

This was to "further facilitate people-to-people exchanges between China and other countries," it added. 

Huge benefit to the UK

The move brings rules for UK and Canada passport holders into line with 50 other countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Australia and Japan.

Hundreds of thousands of British people could potentially benefit from the change, with around 620,000 traveling to China in 2024 according to the Office for National Statistics.

During his official visit to China in January, Starmer said British businesses had been "crying out for ways to grow their footprints in China."

Starmer's visit to China – the first by a British prime minister since 2018 – marked a return to high-level contact that prioritizes results over rhetoric. The high-level engagement came amid broader Western efforts to recalibrate ties with China in a world of rising uncertainty.

At the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, the British and Chinese leaders agreed to carve out a long-term and consistent comprehensive strategic partnership, setting the tone for deeper engagement across economy, politics and global governance to better weather geopolitical storms.

Both sides made clear that trust and communication are more than just diplomatic formalities – they are a policy imperative. A central message was the need to transcend differences through mutual respect.