英语新闻丨China, Singapore sign visa waiver agreement

China and Singapore on Thursday signed an agreement on mutual visa exemption in Beijing, which allows the holders of ordinary passports stays of up to 30 days. The agreement will take effect on Feb 9, the Chinese New Year's Eve.1月26日，中国和新加坡在北京签署了互免签证协议，允许普通护照持有人停留最多30天。该协议将于2月9日，即农历除夕夜生效。The visa exemption applies for tourists, and those visiting family members or for business, according to the agreement.根据协议，免签适用于游客、探亲或商务人士。China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a news conference that the agreement is "a Chinese New Year gift for people of both countries". "The agreement will surely further enhance people-to-people exchanges between China and Singapore, and promote the progress of bilateral ties and cooperation in various fields," Wang said.中国外交部发言人汪文斌在新闻发布会上表示，该协议是“给两国人民的春节礼物”。协议的签订必将进一步加强中新人文交流，推动两国关系和各领域合作取得新进展。Singapore has gained increasing popularity among Chinese tourists during the upcoming Chinese New Year holiday, according to Ctrip, a Chinese online travel agency. According to the agency's statistics, the bookings for people traveling from China to Singapore during the Spring Festival holiday have seen a 14-fold increase year-on-year by Wednesday. Malaysia and China granted visa-free entry to each other's citizens in December. Earlier this month, China said it would implement a unilateral visa-free entry for those holding Ireland and Switzerland passports.据中国在线旅行社携程网称，新加坡日益成为中国游客度过新春假期的热门选择。据该网站数据计，截至周三，春节期间从中国前往新加坡的旅客预订量同比增长14倍。马来西亚和中国于十二月向彼此公民提供免签证入境。本月早些时候，中国表示将对持有爱尔兰和瑞士护照的人实施单边免签入境。High-level opening-up高水平对外开放Wu Xi, head of the Department of Consular Affairs of China's Foreign Ministry, said China has shown its resolve to promote the high-level opening-up by adopting a series of measures to facilitate cross-border travel."We welcome friends from countries across the world to come to China for travel, business, investment and study," Wu said during an interview with China Media Group.中国外交部领事司司长吴玺表示，中国采取一系列便利跨境旅行的措施，表明了推动高水平开放的决心。在接受中央广播电视总台采访时说：“中国欢迎世界各国朋友来中国旅游、经商、投资、留学”。China has enjoyed comprehensive mutual visa exemption with 22 countries, including Singapore, the Maldives and Kazakhstan. Wu said she hopes Chinese and foreign visitors will maintain the order of cross-border travel by respecting the laws and regulations of the countries they are traveling to and bilateral agreements signed between China and other countries.中国已与新加坡、马尔代夫、哈萨克斯坦等22个国家全面互免签证。吴玺表示，希望中外游客遵守前往国法律法规和中外签署的双边协议，维护跨境旅游秩序。Visa waiver agreement互免签证协议Foreign Ministry外交部The Department of Consular Affairs 领事司