People pose for photos with a flower decoration themed on the 2026 APEC "China Year," in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Oct. 17, 2026. The APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting will be held in Shenzhen next month. (Xinhua/Liang Xu)

China will extend the maximum period of stay for APEC Business Travel Card holders in the country from 60 days to 90 days, effective November 1, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Friday, in a move to further facilitate business travel across the Asia-Pacific region.

The announcement comes as China prepares to host the 33rd Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, on November 18 and 19. The APEC CEO Summit will also be held in the city from November 17 to 18, bringing together around 1,000 political and business representatives from APEC economies, according to the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

In August, China, China's Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Singapore jointly announced that they would extend the maximum stay for APEC Business Travel Card holders from 60 days to 90 days in their respective economies, according to the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The announcement was made during the second APEC Business Mobility Group meeting held in Dalian, Northeast China's Liaoning Province, from August 23 to 24, according to the ministry.

The APEC Business Travel Card is designed to facilitate short-term business travel within the APEC region. Successful applicants from fully participating economies are issued a five-year card that serves as the entry authorization to other fully participating economies which have granted pre-clearance for short-term business travel of up to 60 to 90 days, according to APEC.

The move comes amid growing trade between China and other APEC economies. In the first three quarters of 2026, China's trade with other APEC economies reached 24.07 trillion yuan ($3.61 trillion), up 23.9 percent year-on-year and accounting for 60.3 percent of the country's total foreign trade, according to the General Administration of Customs.

Global Times