Originally Posted by
oliver2002
Chinese post pandemic visa procedures for Germans became rather ridiculous... first they required fingerprint capturing at the consulate (similar to what is required by the Germans in China) with an epic application form in a process that took 3 weeks on average then they threatened to only have one such facility in Berlin. Then they backed off on that and now it's visa on arrival? I didn't hear any reports from my Chinese colleagues that the Germans have relaxed anything...
Veering into OMNI territory, but the four EU countries were chosen for very specific political and economic reasons. If you follow the news you should have a good idea what China wants from them. China absolutely understands they cannot expect EU visa reciprocity, they are expecting something else. The program runs for a year, so if China doesn't make the progress they are seeking they may choose to discontinue it.
Regardless, it's good news for now for travelers from those countries.