Guilherme Carvalho made his first visit to China this month, and the Italian said one of the main factors behind the trip was the post-pandemic policy to scrap entry permits for some tourists.

Previously, all foreign visitors had to go through the onerous process of applying for a Chinese visa. Now, visitors from more than a dozen countries can just fly in, and stay for up to 15 days.

¡°I didn¡¯t expect to feel so safe,¡± said Carvalho, who visited Shanghai. ¡°Everyone is so kind.¡±