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President Yoon Suk-yeol arrives for a briefing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense at the Blue House on Jan. 11. (courtesy of the presidential office)

China has suspended transit visa exemptions for Korean and Japanese travelers staying in China for 72 or 144 hours.

The move appears to be a follow-up measure to China’s decision the day before to suspend issuing tourism and short-term visas to Korean and Japanese nationals.

However, China will seemingly continue to grant transit visa exemptions to travelers staying in China for up to 24 hours.

China’s National Immigration Administration said Wednesday that it was suspending the 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa exemptions for Korean and Japanese travelers, explaining that the measures were in response to “discriminatory entry restrictions” recently placed on Chinese nationals by “a minority of countries.”

China allows transit travelers to stay in Chinese airports or designated places for a definite period without a visa, but it will not be extending this benefit to Korean or Japanese nationals.

However, it seems Korean and Japanese transit travelers will still be able to stay in China for up to 24 hours.

China has 24-hour, 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa exemptions, but in their latest announcement, the Chinese authorities only mentioned the 72-hour and 144-hour exemptions.

An official at the Korean Embassy in China said it was his understanding that Korean transit travelers can stay in China for 24 hours without a visa.

The Chinese authorities’ measure appears aimed not at hindering travel to third countries through China, but at supplementing the previous day’s move to suspend issuing tourism and short-term visas to Korean and Japanese nationals.

This is because while most transit travelers staying up to 24 hours really are just passing through, transit travelers staying 72 or 144 hours are usually there for sightseeing.

If China had kept its 72-hour and 144-hour transit visa exemptions, the suspension of tourist and short-term visas could have been rendered meaningless.

Chinese immigration authorities also announced they are suspending “visas on arrival” for Korean and Japanese nationals.

The National Immigration Administration said the announced measures go into effect immediately.

By Choi Hyun-june, Beijing correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]