Trade Policy

Since August 18, 2016, Chinese citizens holding ordinary passports could enter, exit, and transit Ecuador without a visa for tourism, visiting relatives, or engaging in non-profit activities. They could stay in Ecuador for up to 90 days within a year from the date of entry.

However, on Tuesday, Ecuador's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on social media that it is suspending a visa waiver agreement with China.

The agency stated that many Chinese travelers have overstayed the permitted 90-day limit, with some possibly using Ecuador as a springboard to other destinations in the region.

It also mentioned that nearly half of the tourists in the past few months did not exit the country through regular routes on time.

According to data cited by the Washington-based think tank, the Wilson Center, 48,381 Chinese citizens entered Ecuador in 2023, but only 24,240 left, indicating a discrepancy of 24,141 entries.

On the 18th, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian held a regular press conference. A reporter asked, "According to reports, starting from July 1, Chinese citizens will no longer be able to enter Ecuador without a visa. What is the Foreign Ministry's comment on this?"

In response, Spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the China-Ecuador visa exemption agreement, which has been in effect since August 2016, has played an important and positive role in promoting bilateral personnel exchanges and pragmatic cooperation in various fields.

Lin Jian pointed out that the Chinese government firmly opposes any form of illegal immigration. In recent years, Chinese law enforcement agencies have been cracking down on illegal activities that hinder national (border) management, maintaining a high-pressure stance against various illegal immigration organizations and criminals involved in such activities, and achieving significant results.

Additionally, Chinese law enforcement agencies are cooperating with relevant countries to jointly combat cross-border illegal immigration, repatriate illegal immigrants, and collectively maintain the order of international personnel exchanges.

The cancellation of the mutual visa-free policy between China and Ecuador has multiple impacts. From the perspective of national security and illegal immigration control, the adjustment of this policy is reasonable and necessary. By reinstating the visa system, it is possible to more strictly screen incoming personnel and ensure national security.

However, from the perspective of economic and cultural exchanges, the negative impacts of canceling the visa-free policy cannot be ignored. Tourism, business cooperation, and cultural exchanges may all be affected to varying degrees.

Therefore, the governments of both countries need to take corresponding measures during the implementation of the policy to minimize negative impacts. For instance, simplifying the visa application process, lowering visa fees, and offering various types of visas could mitigate the impact of the visa policy on personnel exchanges.

Additionally, the two countries could further their diplomatic cooperation to explore the signing of new bilateral agreements that promote collaboration in visas, immigration, and personnel exchanges.

This approach can ensure national security while continuing to foster economic and cultural exchanges between the two countries, achieving mutual benefit and win-win outcomes.

Source: Chinese Life Network, Easyway International Immigration, Wai Market, etc. If there are any issues related to content, copyright, or other matters, please contact us promptly for removal.