Britain announced today that it is making it easier for Chinese visitors to apply for visas following complaints from UK tourism businesses that the system doesn't entice enough high-spending travelers from China.
Treasury chief George Osborne announced the changes to simplify and speed up applications as he led a British trade delegation to China.
Chinese visitors heading to Europe frequently choose not to stop in Britain because they have to apply for a separate visa from much of the rest of Europe, which comes under the passport-free Schengen zone.
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It also said a new 24-hour fast visa service will be available starting next summer.
Officials also are looking at expanding a VIP mobile service available in Beijing and Shanghai to the rest of the country. That involves visa teams traveling to applicants to collect their forms and biometric data.
Today, George Osborne's Twitter account, which is run by Osborne and the Conservative Party, said the new measures were "good for tourism and British business." British airline, hotel and tourist attraction executives have lobbied for the changes.
Osborne arrived in Beijing yesterday and also will visit southern economic powerhouses Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong.