China Grants Visa-Free Entry to UK, Canada—Leaves US Out

China has granted visa-free entry to British and Canadian nationals, leaving the United States as the sole member of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance without this diplomatic privilege.

A Calculated Diplomatic Move

The Chinese foreign ministry announced the policy on Sunday, effective Tuesday through year-end. British and Canadian passport holders can now stay in China for up to 30 days without a visa for business, tourism, family visits, or exchange purposes.

This creates a striking diplomatic landscape: China had already extended similar privileges to Australia and New Zealand back in July 2024. Now, among the five core Western intelligence-sharing nations, only America remains excluded from Beijing's visa-free welcome mat.

The Isolation Strategy

The timing and selectivity of this policy reveal Beijing's sophisticated approach to Western relations. Rather than treating the Five Eyes as a monolithic bloc, China is effectively driving wedges between alliance members through economic incentives.

For American business travelers and tourists, this creates a tangible disadvantage. While their British and Canadian counterparts can hop on a plane to Shanghai or Beijing with minimal paperwork, Americans must navigate China's complex visa application process—a reminder of deteriorating US-China relations.

Economic Carrots, Political Sticks

China's post-COVID tourism recovery strategy has included expanding visa-free policies to dozens of countries. But the conspicuous exclusion of the US transforms what could be purely economic policy into diplomatic messaging.

This approach reflects Beijing's broader strategy of punishing Washington while rewarding other Western nations for maintaining more pragmatic relationships. It's a classic divide-and-conquer tactic: offer economic benefits to America's allies while isolating the US itself.

The Alliance Test

The policy puts subtle pressure on Five Eyes unity. British and Canadian businesses gain easier access to the world's second-largest economy, potentially creating competitive advantages over American firms. This could influence how these nations balance their security commitments to Washington against economic opportunities with Beijing.

Yet the strategy carries risks for China too. By making the exclusion so obvious, Beijing might actually reinforce the importance of Five Eyes solidarity rather than undermining it.