China visa cost increase
 

The Chinese government increased its visa fee for U. S. citizens on Jan. 20, 2008. Was this increase a reciprocal price hike in response to something done by the U. S. government? If it was, I can understand. Was it caused by the weakness of the U. S. dollar? Was it a unilateral increase on the part of the Chinese? Please help us understand.

i think it may be gearing up for the olympics as well as keeping up with dollar adjustments...fees are country specific i believe...

US increased its visa fees for Chinese citizens.

The Chinese have frequently stated that their visa fees are reciprocal, and in this case, following a hike in charges for Chinese wishing to visit the US, stated that the increase in cost to US citizens was a response to this. Fees to nationals of other countries have not risen.

Other temporary difficulties encountered by US citizens, such as limits on the types of visa available, their duration, and the places from which they may be obtained, and which are not suffered by the citizens of other developed nations, seem more to do with the overall nature of the rocky relationship between the Us and China.

Peter N-H

I think it's irresponsible to characterize US relationship with China as "rocky" and to imply that the US -- alone among developed nations -- is being singled out with visa problems. Most visa issues are reciprocal -- including the recent fee increase. Everyone would like visas to be a simpler affair but the complicating factor here is much more China's Soviet-style bureaucracy rather than any larger political issue. I am hardly a China apologist but -- the number of travelers between the US and China is growing exponentially and even if there problems now, I am very optimistic that things will be easier in the future. America's relationship with China may be complex, but we have as many areas in which cooperate as those where we disagree.

I think it's very odd to characterise as 'irresponsible' the description of US relations with China as 'rocky', unless of course you've been locked in a cave for a while or otherwise lack the ability to read a newspaper.

One might also ask, 'Irresponsible to whom?' Even if there was something misled about such an observation, chit-chat on this site is hardly going to change the direction of US or Chinese foreign policy. That's a shame, admittedly, but we'll just have to live with it.

Just in case cave-dwelling has been the issue, particular disagreements betwen the US and China in recent years have included those around the business of bombing the Chinese embassy in Belgrade, a mid-air collision of a US spy aircraft and a Chinese fighter, the stoning of the US embassy in Beijing by organised crowds, refusal by Chinese to allow US vessels into Hong Kong, arguments over the presence of US warships in the Taiwan straight, the awarding of a high US honour to the Dalai Lama, an assortment of bills before the US government to impose penalties on China for unfair trade practices, speech-making in public suggesting further penalties for 'poisoning US children', and so on.

'Rocky' seems a rather mild description, although there are always those, particularly in business, who want to characterise it as all smooth going. Of course, 'complex' can be a synonym for 'rocky', but then that would make the posting above seem merely argumentative.

As I remarked, the direct link of any of these individual events to various visa difficulties peculiar to U.S. citizens (limits on the types of visa available, their duration, paperwork required, and the places from which they may be obtained) which don't apply to the citizens of other developed nations, isn't clear. But these restrictions have been in place for some time now and show no signs of going away. No one has suggested that they are enough to keep U.S. tourists or business people away, and clearly many succeed quite happily in jumping through whatever hoops are necessary and getting the access to China they want.

The differences were merely mentioned by way of being a more fulsome reply to the original query. A discussion of the nature of the U.S. relationship with China, characterised quite correctly above as co-operative, doesn't belong here.

Peter N-H

It's a sign of the relationship's strength that the US was able to weather all of the difficult moments you described -- some of which occurred eight years ago (ie the bombing of the Belgrade embassy, and the stoning of the US embassy that immediately followed EIGHT YEARS AGO). Yes, the Kitty Hawk was turned away in November -- probably creating thousands of China bashers among the family members who waited for their military loved ones in Hong Kong -- but another Navy visit was allowed and occured recently. The US has more trade disputes with Canada than it does with China.

As I said, I am not arguing that everything is sunlight and meadows. But again, I think it is irresponsible -- not to mention incorrect -- to suggest visa issues to political issues are connected.

P.S. I have not been living in a cave. Have you?

What is the current cost of a visa?

US$130

China visa prices are country specific. There are two price points non-US and US. At the embassy in NYC, it was $30 and $130 respectively.

I sure feel special.

Hi baaj!

Just wanted to point out that my new visa is good for multiple entries and one full year (so for excellent value on my $130 I'm hoping to go back for my second visit to China before the year expires!) That said, the first visit will take place starting April 1 for 23 days, so although we had to pay $130 each, we're pretty psyched about going.

Linda