Direct flights between eastern China's Shanghai and Brussels, Belgium was resumed by Hainan Airlines starting Tuesday, becoming the first direct flight between the two countries after China waived visa requirements for Belgian visitors, CCTV reported.

The Shanghai-Brussels flight will be conducted four times every week. Including the new direct flight, a total of three direct flights are now operated between Brussels and the Chinese cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen in Guangdong province.

China granted a visa-free policy to Belgium, effective from March 14, 2024 to December 31, 2025, according to which, ordinary passport holders from the country can enjoy visa-free travel to China for up to 15 days.

The visa-free policy has greatly simplified the travel process for tourists to visit China. The proportion of foreign passengers in flights from Belgium is approaching 60 percent currently, up from about 20 percent a year ago, according to industry insiders.

wang_ying@chinadaily.com.cn