下週起中英將相互提供兩年多次有效簽證

A new two-year visa system for Chinese nationals visiting the UK will begin next week, the Foreign secretary has announced. It will enable visitors from China to make multiple trips to the UK for longer periods, the government said.

外交部長宣佈，一項新的爲期兩年的中國國民訪問簽證系統將於下週開始正式公佈。這將使得訪客在更長的簽證有效期內多次訪問英國。

The visa is available for business people to attend conferences or to investigate setting up a business, and tourists. Philip Hammond announced the new rules on an official visit to Beijing.

兩年訪客簽證將適用於旅遊出訪，商業拜訪，參加會議，或商務考察這類型的出行目的。英國外交大臣哈蒙德在到北京進行國事訪問時宣佈了這個新規定。

British visitors to China will also get the same visa arrangement, which will cost 85 pound. This is the same price as the six-month visitor visa that Chinese and UK tourists are currently limited to.

中國政府也將會爲英國民衆提供相同的簽證。全新的簽證將花費85英鎊(約合817元人民幣)，與現行的6個月訪客簽證費用一致。

The change was agreed in principle during President Xi Jinping's state visit to the UK in October.

十月份，中國主席習近平前往英國進行國事訪問，同意了這項提議。

Mr Hammond said: "It is designed to make it easier for Chinese business people, for Chinese tourists to visit the UK and we hope that it will herald the beginning of a far higher level of interchange and exchange between our two peoples."

哈蒙德說：“這次簽證政策的改變將會爲中國商人、遊客造訪英國提供便利，這標誌着中英兩國人民交流和合作將會更上一層樓。”

He added that "in due course we would like to see this two-year visa extended to a 10-year multiple entry visa. That remains our aspiration and we will work with our Chinese partners towards it,"

哈蒙德補充道：“在對中國公民頒發2年多次有效訪客簽證基礎上，英方將適時向中方公民頒發10年多次有效簽證。這是我們的願望，我們將和中國政府共同努力來一起實現。”

The number of Chinese visitors has almost trebled over the last five years from 115,000 in 2009 to 336,000 in 2014 with each spending on average 2,688 pound every time they visit, the Foreign Office said.

據外交部透露，最近五年，前往英國的中國遊客已經翻了三番，從2009年11.5萬人增長到2014年的33.6萬人，人均消費爲2688英鎊。