South Korea included in China's visa-free entry scheme starting next week

China's unexpected implementation of visa-free entry for South Korean nationals, announced Friday without prior notice, has sparked speculation over Beijing's intentions by observers in Seoul.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian [YONHAP]

China's unexpected implementation of visa-free entry for South Korean nationals, announced Friday without prior notice, has sparked speculation over Beijing's intentions by observers in Seoul.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry recently announced that nationals from nine more countries, including South Korea, would be allowed to enter China for business, tourism, family visits or transit for up to 15 days without a visa. The policy takes effect on Nov. 8 and is slated to end in December next year.

With the U.S. presidential election approaching and North Korea and Russia drawing closer together, experts speculate that China is sending a diplomatic message to the South Korean government.

The official reason given by the Chinese Foreign Ministry is "to make the travel of foreigners more convenient." However, the remaining countries included in the visa-free policy along with Korea are all in Europe.

At the time of the announcement on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian mentioned "Slovakia, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Andorra, Monaco, and Liechtenstein" and finally added, “the ROK on a trial basis," referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

South Korean government did not even request a visa waiver first, according to government officials.

“We received a sudden notification from China,” said an official from the South Korean Embassy in Beijing. “There was some discussion in the meantime, but this was a sudden decision.”

Previously, Chinese visas were notorious for excessively demanding personal information, such as job information and academic background, as well as the occupations and ages of parents and spouses. The issuance requirements were so strict that even for simple travel purposes, private companies would charge over 100,000 won ($72.45) for visa agency services.

This is the first time since the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 1992 that South Korea has been included on China's visa-free list. Some interpret this as a measure to quell anti-Chinese sentiment in Korea following the recent arrest of a Korean on espionage charges.

The idea that China intends to establish friendly relations with Korea before the U.S. presidential election is gaining ground.

China experienced a trade war during former President Donald Trump's presidency. At the time, Trump even said, “We can cut ties with China," and China's state-run media criticized him, saying, "They are out of their minds."

The current Biden administration is also wary of China's technological advancements and is attempting to control cutting-edge technologies, such as semiconductors, with its allies.

Ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential election, Trump has repeatedly stated that he would impose a 60 percent tariff on Chinese products. Experts speculate that Vice President Kamala Harris would also likely continue the Biden administration's foreign policy stance on China.

Foreign media outlets have reported that China's presence on the Korean Peninsula is diminishing due to North Korea's dispatch of troops to Russia. There have been changes detected in China’s ban on Korean culture and products, which has prohibited the importing of South Korean dramas and put a stop to artists' performances. This was signaled by the recent lifting of some restrictions on games and movies.

BY KIM CHUL-WOONG, LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]