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On April 25, the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China added its voice to the chorus of complaints against the China Visa restrictions, citing members reports of refused applications for multiple-entry business visas and rush services, and for shortened validity periods on approved visas. Some members were being told to return to their home countries in order to apply for business visa renewals.
On April 18, the American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong sent a strongly worded letter to Beijings representative in Hong Kong about what it called "clearly a significant change in business and tourism visa policies." The letter, written by AmCham President Richard Vuylsteke and addressed to Foreign Ministry commissioner Lu Xinhua, included a summary of replies from a snap survey the chamber conducted among its members, detailing the headaches business travelers are facing.
Dale Kreisher, a spokesman for the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong, said the U.S. government had expressed its concerns to Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong. "Weve heard from American businessmen and the chambers that theyre getting fewer entries and shorter validity periods," he said.
Chinese officials have been reluctant to acknowledge any difficulty brought about by changes to its visa policy. Chinas arrangements for visas have been made "according to the practice of other host countries for the Olympics and large-scale sports events and legal regulations in China," Chinas Foreign Ministry in Beijing said in a statement, adding that applicants may be required to submit documents such as an invitation letter, hotel reservations and return tickets. "Compared to visas of most countries in this world, it is convenient for most foreigners to get visas," the statement said.
The Web site for Chinas embassy in Singapore, for instance, says that only single- or double-entry business visas, valid for one month, are available. The Singapore embassy in Beijing warns its citizens that multiple-entry visas would be approved on a "case-by-case basis with strong justifications." Many visa applications now require a return air ticket and hotel booking, according to the Singapore Web site and anecdotal evidence from business travelers from other countries. The site also notes that a visa-waiver program for Singaporean passport holders traveling to China for 15 days or less will be temporarily suspended, effective July 1. It would resume "at an appropriate date after the Beijing Olympics," the notice read.
The restrictions dont seem to apply to people with existing visas. However, the new measures are making life more difficult for businesses across the region, particularly for those in Hong Kong that rely on frequent trips to southern China.
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