It said holders of these visas can apply for new ones if they need to travel to China and the embassy and consulates will “review [the applications] and issue new visas” to them.
“In the future, China will adjust relevant measures in a timely manner according to the development of the epidemic situation, and promote the gradual normalisation of personnel exchanges between China and other countries,” the statement said.
The response came 10 days after more than 29,000 Chinese Americans signed a petition on change.org, appealing to the Chinese embassy in the United States to “reinstate all visas issued in the past and remove any and all roadblocks for travelling to China”.
The online petition said many Chinese Americans have been waiting for over three years to visit relatives in China, including elderly parents who have become sick or died from Covid-19.
“We understand that the Covid-19 pandemic has created difficulties and challenges for everyone, but we implore the embassy to take into account the emotional and familial toll that prolonged separation has had on so many Chinese-Americans,” it urged.
“In light of the recent Covid-19 policy changes in China, we strongly believe that families should not be separated for such extended periods of time and that individuals should be able to visit their loved ones. We therefore urge the Chinese embassy to take immediate action to reinstate all previously issued visas and remove any roadblocks that may be preventing people from visiting their families in China”.
The appeal, initiated by a user named Samual Yan on 11 January, soon became viral online. Many poured out their grievances in the comments section, urging Beijing to ease travel restrictions.
China has lifted the quarantine requirements and resumed applications for short-term social visit and business visas for foreigners. But it has not officially reopened up applications for long term multi-entry visas, which were popular among the Chinese who migrated to the United States to visit their family in China in the past.
“My dad passed away in 2022, I did not get a chance to go back see him or attend his funeral due to my active 10 years visa not [being] allowed to be used. My loss and pain will be with me for the rest of my life,” wrote one signatory Wendy Jiang, from Plano, Texas.
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China immigration official says 1.35 million applied for passports, visas since Jan 8
Another signatory Lefei Meng said there is “no legitimate reason” to stop the 10-year visa granted by the Chinese government to US citizens before March 2020, because the US still allows Chinese citizens to use 10-year visas issued before March 2020.
James Hu, 35, a Chinese-American from New York, told the South China Morning Post that when he applied for a visa last month, the options included multiple-entry and 10-year visas but added “they told me that my previous 10-year visa will be nullified” if he did so.
Adrian Xu, 40, also from New York, confirmed the new options were now available, which had not been the case in previous months.
The 10-year visa arrangement was announced in November 2014 when former president Barack Obama visited Beijing.
While China suspended this arrangement in March 2020 after the coronavirus outbreak, the US has continued to grant 10-year visas to visiting Chinese citizens.
