The Chinese Embassy in Washington announced on December 30 that starting New Year’s Day, U.S. tourists applying to visit China will no longer need to submit round-trip tickets, proof of hotel reservations, itineraries or invitations to China. The purpose of simplifying the application process is to “further facilitate the flow of people between China and the United States,” the notice said. In an effort to boost tourism, China announced last month that it would allow citizens of France, Germany, Italy and other countries to enter the country visa-free for stays of up to 15 days. International flights between the two countries have slowly increased in recent months, but are still well below pre-pandemic levels, the report said.
The 24-year-old Chinese-American elected
the youngest mayor in the United States
James Coleman, a Chinese-American councilman from South San Francisco, was elected mayor in the reshuffled election for the city council on December 7, becoming the youngest mayor of the United States at the age of 24. Three years ago, he also made headlines when he was elected the youngest city councilor. Not only is he the only Gen Z MP, but he also became the first public LGBTQ person in the city to be elected to the office. At that time, it was mainly to hold the local police accountable for the abuse of violence and to lead to the establishment of the Commission on Racial and Social Justice. It’s a different story these days, he said, “people are more concerned about the broad cost of living and how are you going to afford a home or how are you going to pay rent?” His top priority as mayor is to revolve around affordable housing and see key social programs like childcare as a long-term effective investment in public safety.