Tourists from Italy pose for a group photo after practicing Tai Chi at the Tiantan Park in Beijing, July 9, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

Expanding visa-free policy is a milestone in China's journey toward greater openness and also shows its confidence on the global stage.

Starting Saturday, China extended its unilateral visa-free policy to ordinary passport holders from nine more countries. So far, the policy on a trial basis has been applied to 38 countries since its launch a year ago. Meanwhile, China has signed mutual visa exemption agreements with 157 countries, covering different types of passports.

China will not shut its door but will instead open it wider to the outside world. This is not only an official commitment China has made but has also been translated into concrete and efficient actions.

The visa-free policy is a major measure to facilitate people-to-people exchanges and businesses and advance high-standard opening up. Greater openness brings more two-way benefits.

Easy cross-border travel adds to the growth momentum and vitality of the Chinese economy. Meanwhile, the huge Chinese market provides countless opportunities for win-win cooperation of businesses and shared growth with other countries.

International arrivals have surged with the support of the measures. In the third quarter of 2024, China logged nearly 8.2 million inbound trips made by foreigners, up 48.8 percent year on year. Among these, about 4.9 million entered visa-free, a remarkable rise of 78.6 percent from the same period last year.

Trust and understanding are more critical than ever in a world fraught with rising trade barriers and geopolitical tensions. Visa-free travels help foster authentic connections, allowing visitors to experience China's high-speed railway service, the real life of ordinary people and their hospitality, and the rich Chinese culture.

These first-hand experiences counteract misleading narratives of China in certain Western media and help promote a correct understanding of the largest developing country.

China's visa-free policy fits perfectly with the 2,500-year-old Confucian proverb: "It is such a joy to have friends coming from afar."

This sincerity is also demonstrated by streamlining the procedure of traveling to China and making life and work in China more convenient and comfortable for foreign friends. Places including Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong Province have improved payment services to make online shopping and transportation more problem-free. Chinese telecom providers help foreign friends access and use the 5G network more conveniently.

The visa-free policy expansion and other measures are in line with China's call for building a world economy characterized by cooperation, openness and innovation, among others. Recent policies, such as removing all restrictions for foreign investors in manufacturing and allowing the establishment of wholly foreign-owned hospitals in select cities, highlight China's determination and actions to pursue economic globalization that is more dynamic, inclusive and sustainable through joint efforts with others.

Opening up is a defining feature of Chinese modernization. China is committed to building new, open and higher-standard economic systems and welcomes friends from all countries to share in the dividends of its development. Its visa-free policy symbolizes more than just easier travel. It is a gateway to stronger global ties and common prosperity amid the headwinds of rising protectionism.