Real information? No guess?

I was asked by a visitor of this blog to provide some “real information” – and no guess - over getting a China visa in Hong Kong/Macau. Well, he may not know much about China and how things work there.

The recent visa restrictions imposed by the mainland authorities are a fact, but the mainland authorities have not been able to stipulate the restrictions, and how these restrictions will affect business people and tourists of different nationalities. All the news coming out so far have been bits and pieces, and information is not TRANSPARENT. There is no official announcement whatsoever!

Because of the lack of transparency, European business chambers in Hong Kong have been pressing mainland authorities to come up with clear information on China visas, but to no avail so far.

China is not a country that you can associate it with transparency. Not yet.

Report from South China Morning Post for your information:

Foreign Office asks Beijing to clarify changes to visa rules
 
Albert Wong
Apr 23, 2008          
 
Concerns about newly imposed restrictions on visas for travel to the mainland have been taken up at the diplomatic level, Britain’s top representative in Hong Kong said yesterday. But so far, China had provided no answers, said Andrew Seaton.

Exasperation has been growing among foreign businesspeople and chambers of commerce at the restrictions and at the dearth of official information about them.

The British consul general, who said fostering business ties was one of his priorities, revealed that the Foreign Office had taken up the matter with mainland authorities.

“The British chamber, I know, has been very concerned about the real impact it has on the ability of their membership to pursue business in China … We have also taken up the matter with Chinese authorities in Hong Kong, Beijing and indeed in London, to try to get as much clarification as we can on quite what the changes are,” he said.

Business chambers have received hundreds of complaints about what appears to be a tightening of visa regulations in the lead-up to the Olympics. Businessmen who need to make frequent trips to the mainland have been the worst affected.

Travel agents have said they were notified on March 27 that no new multiple-entry visas would be issued until October. On April 1, when the Commissioner’s Officer of the Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong took over issuing all visas, immigration officers at the border stopped issuing short-stay visas for Shenzhen.

Last week, the office confirmed that visa applicants must present return tickets and a hotel voucher to secure a tourist visa; business travellers need a “visa notification form”.

Beijing denies there has been any change in visa policy. Travel agents link the changes to the Olympics.