Israel, China to Implement Reciprocal 10-Year Visa

JERUSALEM, Israel – Israeli Interior Minister Arieh Deri says Israel and China will issue 10-year visas for Israeli and Chinese tourists.

Following a meeting with Chinese Ambassador Zhan Yongxin, his embassy staff and Israeli Population and Immigration Authority Director General Amnon Ben-Ami, Deri said a reciprocal 10-year multiple entry visa will soon replace the current 3-month visa. Tourists will be able to remain in the countries for up to 90 days at any one time.

"China is a very important country and we are starting a new and important track with the Chinese government," Deri told Ambassador Yongxin. "It is essential that as many Chinese tourists come to Israel as possible. This is a move that will greatly assist Israeli and Chinese tourism and will significantly contribute to bilateral relations and the economies of both countries."

Yongxin, who was born in Shanghai and grew up in Beijing, told participants at the Annual China Conference at the Institute for National Security Studies last March that the Israeli and Chinese economies "are highly complementary."

"The friendship between Chinese people and Jewish people cherished by our both sides and has been tested by thousand years. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the relationship with Israel. We have witnessed the sound and steady development for our bilateral relationship during the past 24 years. Frequent political exchanges and dynamic mutual visits take place at all levels, the pragmatic cooperation in various fields continues to expand," Yongxin said.

"The economic and trade cooperation is one of the main pillars of our relations. Israel has advanced technology, strong innovation, and numerous start-ups, while China is famous for its strong manufacturing capacity and broad market. The two economies are highly complementary," he said.

Yongzin said 47,000 Chinese visited Israel in 2015 and that the multiple-entry visa was under discussion. He also said China's Hainan Airlines will open a direct flight between Beijing and Tel Aviv," adding that all these developments "will facilitate people-to-people exchanges."

"Let us join hands together to push forward the China-Israel relations into a new height and bring more and more benefits for our two countries and two peoples," he concluded.

The Knesset Interior Committee will review the proposal before it's submitted to the cabinet for approval. Once it's approved, Deri will sign the order.