Posts from users and Indian accounts on social media platform X on Monday were claiming that China has removed Pakistan from its list of countries allowed visa-free entry. However, no such development has occurred since Pakistan was never included in China’s list of countries with visa-free entry.

Pakistan and China share a longstanding strategic partnership rooted in mutual trust, economic cooperation, and regional connectivity. Over the decades, ties have expanded across different sectors, including trade, energy, infrastructure, and media collaboration, with initiatives like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor symbolising a shared vision for development.

On July 14, a user, who appears to be a PTI supporter based on his previous posts, claimed in a post on X that China has removed Pakistan from its list of visa-free countries.

A social media graphic from a news outlet accompanying the post reads: “China just announced visa-free entry for 74 countries, but Pakistan didn’t make the list.”

The post garnered over 19,000 views.

The same post was shared by several other PTI supporters as well, as can be seen here, here, here, here, and here, gaining over 18,000 collective views.

The same claim was shared on X by an Afghan-based user, gaining over 95,000 views.

The same claim was also circulated by several Indian accounts, with individual posts garnering over 557,000, 180,000, 27,000, 24,000, and 14,000 views, respectively.

A fact-check was initiated to determine the veracity of the claim due to its high virality and keen public interest in matters related to Pakistan-China relations.

To investigate the claim, the July 9 news article published by Media Bites, whose social media graphic was being shared, was reviewed.

The news report was titled: “China offers 30-day visa-free access to citizens of 74 countries, but Pakistan misses out”.

The story cited US-based news outlet ABC News, which reproduced a report by US wire news agency The Associated Press (AP)

AP published the report on July 9 with the following headline: “Citizens of more than 70 countries can now visit China without a visa.”

According to the report, China has expanded its visa-free policy to allow citizens of 74 countries to enter for up to 30 days without a visa as part of efforts to boost tourism and strengthen its global image. The list includes most European countries, such as France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, along with select nations from Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Additionally, citizens of 10 other countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, are eligible for a 10-day entry under China’s limited transit visa policy.

Pakistan was not mentioned anywhere in the report as being removed from the list of countries.

Checking the official website of the China Visa Application Centre Islamabad showed that not only does it mention the various types of visas that Pakistanis can apply for, but also, its page of the online visa application procedure was last updated June 24 — well before the July 9 AP report.

The procedure shows the detailed steps and documentation needed to apply for a Chinese visa, confirming that Pakistan has always required a visa to enter China and was never among the countries granted visa-free entry.

Therefore, the fact-check determined that the claim that China has removed Pakistan from its list of visa-free countries is misleading.

Pakistan has not been removed from any list because it was never among those countries with visa-free entry in China and Pakistanis have always been required to apply for various types of visas to gain entry. While Pakistan was not included in the recent list, omitting the fact that Pakistanis have always required a visa for entry in China has the potential to misguide the public into thinking it is a new development or that Pakistan has been removed.

This fact check was originally published by iVerify Pakistan — a project of CEJ-IBA and UNDP.