Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Chinese President Xi Jinping promised to introduce visa-free access for Canadians traveling to China. This was announced following Carney's visit to Beijing on January 14-17, 2026, and high-level talks that ended with the announcement of a new “strategic partnership” between the countries.
What exactly was announced
Public statements from the Canadian side refer to a political agreement: Carney said that Xi “committed to ensuring visa-free access for Canadians traveling to China.”
At the same time, the start date and exact conditions (which categories of travel, length of stay, rules for multiple entries, etc.) have not yet been announced. Reuters also notes that no details on the parameters of visa-free travel have been reported.
In which package of decisions did the promise of “visa-free travel” appear?
The announcement of future visa-free travel came amid a broader package of agreements to reset relations between Canada and China:
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Electric vehicles: Canada has agreed to allow the import of up to 49,000 Chinese electric vehicles per year at a “most-favored” tariff of 6.1%.
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Canola and other goods: Canada expects China to reduce tariffs on Canadian canola to approximately 15% from March 1, 2026, and to remove/not apply some “anti-discriminatory” tariffs on a number of other goods (including seafood and agricultural products) for a specified period.
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Specific cooperation mechanisms: The parties agreed to restart/strengthen dialogues on the economy, energy, public security, and cultural exchanges.
Does this mean that Canadians can now fly to China without a visa?
Not yet — it does not work automatically. The PRC needs to officially launch the rules (consular instructions/notifications) and publish the terms of application. The Canadian side explicitly states that this is a commitment to introduce visa-free access, not an already existing regime.