As an important aviation hub connecting China with Japan and South Korea, Qingdao airport currently operates direct flights to major cities in the two countries. [Photo/Guanhai News]

Following the trial period of a visa-free policy for South Korea on Nov 8, China further expanded the visa-free range starting Nov 30.

To facilitate the movement to other countries, China announced the expansion of its visa-free policy. From Nov 30, 2024 to Dec 31, 2025, China will trial a visa-free policy for ordinary passport holders from Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Estonia, Latvia, and Japan. With this expansion, China now has visa-free entry for 38 countries. This is the sixth expansion of China's unilateral visa-free circle of friends since it implemented a similar policy for France, Germany, and other countries on Dec 1, 2023.

In the first eleven months of this year, Qingdao airport handled over 670,000 inbound and outbound foreign passengers, nearly doubling year-on-year. As the preferred gateway to China for travelers from Japan and South Korea, the inclusion of Japan in the visa-free policy will further enhance Qingdao's appeal to Japanese tourists and solidify Qingdao's status as a key hub for Japan and South Korea.

As an important hub connecting China and Japan, Qingdao airport currently operates direct flights to major Japanese cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka, serviced by airlines including Shandong Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, Qingdao Airlines, and All Nippon Airways.

Specifically, there are 42 weekly flights between Qingdao and Osaka, with flight times covering the main periods from morning to afternoon. There are 20 weekly flights between Qingdao and Tokyo, offering more options to better meet the business and tourism needs of passengers. Additionally, there are eight weekly flights between Qingdao and Fukuoka, operated since the winter flight schedule started in October this year.

Meanwhile, Qingdao airport operates 32 daily round-trip flights to South Korea, with flight times evenly distributed throughout the day. Among them, the Qingdao–Seoul route has 29 daily flights, maintaining the highest frequency among domestic airports for the Qingdao-Seoul Express. The higher frequency of flights makes travel more flexible and convenient for passengers.