Mainlanders will find it easier to get visas for Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions (SARs) from now on, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Public Security Wednesday.

The reason for the change in procedures is to meet the needs resulting from the increasing demand for economic, cultural and personnel exchanges between the mainland and the SARs, according to the ministry's Bureau of Exit and Entry Administration.

Also, new visas and visa registration procedures for the SARs will be used to replace the old ones to counter forgery and to meet the demands of the changing situation.

Statistics indicated that in 2001 more than 2.46 million mainland citizens entered and left the SARs, three times the figures for 1997, said an official with the bureau who preferred not to be named.

The number will further rise as a result of China's accession into the World Trade Organization and expanding cooperation between enterprises, said the official.

In addition to relative visiting and tourist visas, which were the only ones available to mainlanders for entry into Hong Kong before 1997, they can now apply for another six kinds of visas, including business, training, work and study, said the official.

In connection with this, the bureau decided to adopt a series of reforms of visa procedures for mainland citizens' short-term visits to the SARs.

A mainland citizen can apply for a relative-visiting visa if his/her relatives are living, studying or working in either of the SARs; and the visas fall into three categories: once a month, once in three months and three-month multiple-entry visas, according to the bureau.

Application procedures for business visas for the SARs will be simplified to attract more enterprises and institutes from the mainland to conduct commerce, and the business visas will be good for once a fortnight, three months multiple-entry, one year or three years.

To lure more tourists, visas will be given to those above 60 or under 14, who can apply at local exit-entry administration bureaus even if they are members of transient households. Overseas Chinese who have returned to the mainland can apply for passes or visas for SARs at local exit-entry authorities.

(China Daily May 30, 2002)