Tourists of the first tour group from Hong Kong take a selfie at Beijing Capital International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 6, 2023. The Chinese mainland fully resumed normal travel with the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) starting Monday, in what is expected to be a strong boost for the two regions' economic development.(Photo: Xinhua)

As senior Chinese diplomat Wang Yi continued his visit in Europe, France and the EU announced the lifting of restrictions on travelers from China, prompting Chinese observers to expect a warming of China-Europe personnel exchanges for tourism and business, which will be conducive to enhancing mutual understanding and trust. 

"People traveling from China to France are no longer required to present the result of a negative RT-PCR test within 48 hours or fill a health declaration form. Random screenings upon arrival are also abolished," the French embassy in Beijing said in a statement on Thursday.

France's decision was made on the day Wang Yi arrived in country. Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, is on a trip to visit France, Italy, Hungary and Russia and attend the 59th Munich Security Conference.  

Wang welcomed the French move, saying it is conducive to personnel exchange and cooperation. With its economy recovering rapidly and its society returning to normal [from the impact of the COVID epidemic], China is ready to fully restart exchanges with France in all fields, Wang said in France. 

"The rapid resumption of economic and social activities in China will bring greater opportunities to the world," Wang said.

China's top leadership said at a Thursday meeting that China has achieved a major and decisive victory in its COVID-19 prevention and control since November 2022… and the country's COVID policy adjustment and optimization helped achieve a stable transition and kept the overall death rate at the lowest level worldwide. 

Health experts from 27 EU member states also agreed on Thursday to phase out the requirement for a negative pre-travel nucleic acid test by the end of February. The spot checking of arrivals from China will be removed around mid-March, Reuters reported.

Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, non-EU members of the Schengen free travel zone, agreed to implement the same moves. 

Zhao Junjie, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of European Studies, told the Global Times on Friday that Europe's travel restrictions were imposed due to a certain "irrationality" - the EU and many of its member states' China strategies are undergoing major adjustment as a result of their own anxiety and concerns over China's development as well as US pressure for bloc confrontation, leading to some policies that are in neither the EU's nor Chinese interests.  

According to a statement sent by Qunar.com to the Global Times, more than half of the Schengen countries have direct flights with China. More flights are available for Frankfurt, Paris, Amsterdam, Rome and Milan. 

More favorable border policies could encourage more Chinese to choose Europe as a potential destination for tourism or study, while business trips would also be more convenient, according to analysts.

The removal of restrictions is a positive sign that European countries and the EU as a bloc have finally embarked on the right path, when the world should embrace communication and connection, which have been severely disrupted by the COVID pandemic, Zhao said. The later the EU makes the policy change, the more business opportunities it will miss.  

Zhao pointed out such nongovernmental exchanges are crucial to enhance mutual understanding and dispel mistrust, serving as an important complement to high-level political interactions. 

Li Haidong, a professor at the Institute of International Relations at the China Foreign Affairs University, told the Global Times that Wang Yi's trip carries the goal of promoting coordination and cooperation between China and Europe in various fields at a time when bilateral relations face many challenges. 

However, the two sides have no fundamental conflicts and can cooperate on a wide range of topics, Li said.  

Analysts share the view that Europe, deeply burdened by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, urgently needs to find a way to revitalize its own competitiveness rather than sing to the US tune at the expense of its stability and prosperity.