BEIJING - In a surprise move, Ecuador has announced the temporary suspension of its visa waiver agreement with China amid the Asian country's move to ease visa restrictions for other countries.
The authorities in Ecuador have confirmed the development due to concerns over irregular migration flows of Chinese citizens passing through the South American country.
In an official statement, Ecuador's Foreign Ministry disclosed on Tuesday that approximately half of the Chinese nationals who entered Ecuador in recent months did not depart through authorized channels or within the permitted 90-day stay period.
According to the ministry, these individuals either remain within Ecuador in an irregular migration status or have departed through unauthorized routes to other destinations, especially the USA after an adventurous overland journey.
As far as the statistics are concerned, official data from Ecuador's national statistics institute imply that in 2023, there were 48,381 entries by Chinese nationals into Ecuador, with approximately 24,240 documented exits, leaving a significant discrepancy of 24,141 individuals — the highest among all nationalities.
Commenting on the suspension, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that the China-Ecuador Mutual Visa Exemption Agreement that took effect in August 2016 played a positive role in bilateral personnel exchanges and practical cooperation in various fields.
The official reiterated China's opposition to smuggling activities and highlighted their law enforcement efforts to combat illegal border crossings.
It is to be highlighted that China is easing visa restrictions for tourists from multiple countries. Recently, it waived visa requirements for Australia and New Zealand. Previously, Beijing offered visa-free entry to countries including Malaysia, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg.
China has also signed a visa-free agreement with Thailand permanently from March this year and the country is still looking for ways to attract more and more tourists from across the world.