Many foreign business people are up in arms over a tightening of visa procedures for getting into China. The tightening occurred last week. There's been no real explanation from the Foreign Ministry but it seems obvious that the clampdown is to keep troublemakers out of China before and during the Olympic Games.

The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong has a lot of information here about its concern.

Now the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China is weighing in on the matter. Here's part of a press release that just arrived:

Beijing, 25th April 2008. The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China is concerned about recent and unexpected difficulties encountered in obtaining and renewing business travel visas (“F visas”) to China. In the last few days, the European Chamber has received complaints from many of its members regarding these matters and has expressed its concerns to China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

European companies in mainland China, Hong Kong and abroad have in recent days encountered such difficulties as:

-- refusal of multiple-entry F visas,
-- suspension of express visa services for F visa applications, and
-- shortening of the length of issued single- and double-entry F visas.

The European Chamber is also particularly concerned about cases where Asia-based Europeans seeking to renew their China business visas, have been required to return to their home countries to apply.

For many years, EU-China business co-operation has benefited from generally convenient and efficient China visa services. According to the feedback from the member companies of the European Chamber, these recent developments impede business between the EU and China. European Chamber President Joerg Wuttke said: “Suspending the issue of express visas means that business opportunities are being missed. Beyond slowing down the process of travelling to China, these new practices make the possibility of travelling to China for business uncertain and increase travel costs by limiting the number of entries per visa”. He also commented that, “The requirement that F visa applicants return to their home country to renew their visas imposes substantial extra costs in terms of both time and money on EU-China business cooperation. This benefits no one.”