A view of "Chinatown" in Buenos Aires, Argentina Photo: Liu Yang/GT

Argentina on Tuesday relaxed visa requirements for Chinese citizens amid the continuous deepening of China-Latin America cooperation in various fields. The latest move is set to fuel vibrant people-to-people exchanges and inject new momentum into economic and trade ties between China and Latin America, experts and industry insiders said.

According to a notice on the website of the Consulate General and Argentine Promotion Center in Shanghai of Argentine Republic, citizens of the People's Republic of China holding ordinary passports are authorized to enter Argentina without an Argentine consular visa or Electronic Travel Authorization (AVE) when entering for tourism or business purposes, upon presentation of a valid and current US visa corresponding to similar migratory categories. 

In such cases, the maximum authorized stay in Argentina is up to 30 days. This measure takes effect from July 22, 2025.

"Argentina is a key destination for those Chinese tourists that are seeking to feel the experience of our football, tango and amazing natural landscapes. At the Consulate, we experienced a sharp increase in the number of visa applications during the latest high season for tourism. Now we are looking forward to a surge in the number of tourists," Santiago Demian Cataldo, Consul of Culture and Tourism of Consulate General and Argentine Promotion Center in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Tuesday, adding that a growing number of Argentine tourists are now including China in their Asian itineraries.

Li Fei, a product manager at Spring Tour, told the Global Times on Tuesday that the favorable visa policies will facilitate the diversified growth of the China-Latin America tourism market, enabling the development of more travel routes and product combinations to cater to the varying needs of tourists.

"For travelers looking to cover more destinations in a single journey, we've rolled out 17- to 25-day multi-country tour routes spanning five South American countries. These products allow tourists to explore Brazil, Argentina, Peru, Chile, and Uruguay in one go. These products are enjoying a brisk uptake from customers," Li added.

Despite the long distance to Argentina, the relaxed visa policies will undoubtedly promote people-to-people exchanges and are of great significance to the development of bilateral relations, Jiang Shixue, a professor at the Center for Latin American Studies at Shanghai University, told the Global Times on Tuesday.

The move comes after China in May announced a trial policy that unilaterally grants visa-free entry to citizens of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru and Uruguay. It was the first time that China has extended such access to nations in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

Under the policy, holders of ordinary passports from these five countries can enter China without a visa for up to 30 days for purposes including business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchange, and transit.

The loosening of visa requirements comes amid warming business ties between China and Latin America.

"As with tourists, in 2024 we have witnessed a growing number of businesspeople traveling from here to there and the other way. From this year on, with our new visa policy, we expect nothing but a boost in the number of entrepreneurs and investors doing what they know best. Argentina is open for business," Cataldo said.

"The complementarity between our economies becomes evident. China is a critical manufacturer of industrial components and final goods for our economy, as well as a relevant source of investment, whereas Argentina is a key player in China's food industry, from soybeans to feed the livestock to our internationally acclaimed specialties such as beef and wine," Cataldo added.

Cathy Jiang, founder and general manager of La Vida Mia Global Co, a platform dedicated to sports, cultural exchanges, and product trade between China and Latin America, expects the easing visa policy to facilitate business travel.

"The relaxed visa requirements have significantly simplified the travel process for business professionals with more streamlined procedures," she told the Global Times on Tuesday.

Economic ties between China and Latin America have deepened significantly. Bilateral trade has doubled over the past decade, surpassing $500 billion in 2024. Chinese exports, including electric vehicles, are increasingly popular in the region, while Latin American goods such as Chilean cherries and Argentine beef have become Chinese household staples, according to Xinhua.

China has strong manufacturing capacity and can export industrial products, while Latin American countries are rich in raw materials, primary products and agricultural products, which forms a win-win pattern, Jiang Shixue said.

Over the past decade, two-way investment in the high-tech and infrastructure fields has continuously strengthened, which is a significant, positive change and an important growth point, he noted.