Under the following circumstances, no visa is required for foreigners to transit at Chinese airports:
1. Foreigners who have confirmed onward tickets and seats on international flights, and do not exit the transit airport boundary within 24 hours.
2. From January 1, 2013, irrespective of the passport type, citizens of the following 45 countries who transit in Beijing and Shanghai via Beijing Capital International Airport or Shanghai Hongqiao and Pudong International Airport within 72 hours:
Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Russia, Great Britain, Ireland, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, United States, Canada, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Australia, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Japan, Singapore, Brunei, United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
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