Try it and see if you get back in on day 16.

The CCP has to know they aren't going to get reciprocity from Schengen. While Schengen visas can be limited to single countries, it's not possible to enforce this in practice (perhaps with the exception of Malta and maybe Greece).

Countries such as Senegal which want tourists from first world countries will accept not getting reciprocal treatment.

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...

China has realized that they overestimated the desire of people from other countries to put up with their crap in order to visit the Middle Kingdom.

Zero Covid was the final straw for many and this is an attempt to try and win back some goodwill.

China does not expect reciprocity in this instance, at least during the 12-month trial period. As mentioned above, China is likely trying to win back some goodwill given all the negative press lately. There is demand from Europe to visit China, but the visa application process puts people off.

The "trial period" thing is just another face-saving ruse...a way to appease the hardliners; "we aren't really kowtowing to Europe because it's only a pilot program, you see?"

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Congrats to Malaysia, Singapore, France, Spain, Holland, Italy, and Germany for having visa-free entry to China. Effective Dec. 1., 15-day visa-free entry will be granted to passport holders of those nations. This is a trial run that will last from Dec. 1, 2023 and ends Dec. 1, 2024.

GREAT news indeed for those country....tiny correction: runs until November 30, 2024

There is/was just one visa application center in berlin, but they are available in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Hamburg, too. It is/was required for German (and other Schengen) Passport holders to leave fingerprints every five years at one of this facilities, or if they got a new passport.
Personally I would prefer to get a 10 year visa instead of 15 days visa free access. 10 year visa aren't available for Schengen citizen. It was real pain to get a new visa every few month, as china only gave 1 year multiply enty visa after you already had a few single entry visa in your passport. The mandatory "Visa Service Center" also charged high fees for their "service".
In fact they did nothing else than the embassy did before the Service Centers was introduced. It wasn't even possible to pay by creditcard, they required cash or the old fashioned german "EC card" and their service was always rude. Some of my friends spend half a day there just to submit their application (which you have to submit online anyway before you visit the service center). Some was required to drive hundred of kilometers again because the service center wasn't able to take fingerprints that day or they refused to take cash that day and only accept the stupid EC-Card for payment.

It's not a new scheme for Singaporeans. Plus, Holland is a region in the Netherlands

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I'm curious about someone's post in this forum from months back, mentioning that some visas would be extended three years due to COVID-19 shaving off three years. Any updates on that, or was it much ado about nothing?

We discussed that topic about 5 months ago in this thread and/or the visa thread, and I'm too lazy to dig up the conversation(s), but IIRC the gist of it was that they were/are issuing new visas that effectively tacked on validity time due to Covid, but for many people, getting new 10-year visas made/makes more sense (i.e. if you're going to go to a consulate anyway, you might as well walk away with the best document possible, even if it entails forking over $185...raised from the previous $140 due to reciprocity).

It's here:
Compensation Arrangements for the Use-Suspension of 10-year Multi-Entry Visa due to the COVID-19_Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America

2. Applicants may choose whether to apply for compensation after the expiration of their visas. A three-year multi-entry visa can be applied free of charge in compensation. If applicants choose to give up the compensation, a new 10-year multi-entry visa can be applied for with normal charge.

Well, they wanted to move the finger printing for all to Berlin. Thank god that didn't happen. For us the rule of thumb was that you got a 2 year multiple entry visa once you had two 6 month visa in the passport.

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.

Anyone found the official rules about this visa exemption? Will it be possible to enter china at any airport or border crossing point or just at the airports which offered the 72/144 hours visa exemption before?

Glad to confirm I just entered mainland from HK at the Lo Wu pedestrian checkpoint.
Just checked « visa free » on the entry form and in I went , no questions asked.
The whole health declaration drama and temperature check is over, too, which is nice.