By Dong Na

On June 17, China announced that it would include Australia as a unilateral visa-free country, following a similar announcement for New Zealand on June 13.

Australia and New Zealand have close business ties and cultural exchanges with Ningbo. These visa waivers are set to bolster trade and cultural exchanges between Ningbo and these two nations, bringing more opportunities for Ningbo, a city with a globally-oriented economy.

Zheng Qiu, a Ningbo-based export trader specializing in consumer products, highlighted the positive impact of the visa waiver on his business. Previously, his Australian clients had to submit complicated application materials and wait for up to three to four weeks before obtaining a Chinese visa. With the visa waiver, Zheng expects a significant increase in Australian customers visiting Ningbo this year.

As a RCEP member country, Australia is an important trade partner of Ningbo. In the first five months of this year, Ningbo's port handled 34.91 billion yuan in trade with Australia, a 26.9% year-on-year increase.

The visa waiver news, coupled with recent tariff adjustments, has boosted the confidence of Ningbo's consumer goods importers.

"Australian wines account for a sizable share of the Chinese market and are favored by Chinese consumers for their sweet, rich taste," said Wang Hua, head of a local wine import company, "The visa waiver will help more Australian wines to enter the Chinese market. It will allow Australian winery owners and winemakers to visit China more frequently to seek business opportunities."

Miao Jing, who works for a company providing digital marketing and consulting services to prestigious schools including the University of New South Wales in Australia and the University of Auckland in New Zealand, also sees the visa waiver as a boon. In her opinion, this policy will increase the willingness of individuals from Australia and New Zealand to visit China for science, education, cultural exchanges, and tourism, spreading the latest developments from China to the world.

"With the visa waiver, it will be easier for Ningbo's organizations to engage in talks with their partners from Australia and New Zealand, fast-tracking the implementation of cooperation projects. With more frequent contact, there will definitely be more opportunities for Ningbo's exporters and service providers," Miao said.