As a sign of diplomacy and openness, Japan has decided to further relax its visa requirements for Chinese citizens who are travelling to the country for business, education and leisure.

The decision to ease visa requirements for Chinese nationals was made during a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Promotion of Japan as a Tourism-Oriented Country on Friday, Japan Times reported via China Daily.

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The new visa guidelines - expected to be implemented before summer of this year - are in line with the Japanese government's overall goal of attracting 40 million foreign tourists every year by 2020.

According to the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs' website, five-year, multi-entry visas particularly for Chinese businessmen, academics and artists will be extended to 10 years.

Moreover, Japan's visa requirements for certain Chinese citizens will also be made easier.

In the past, multiple-entry individual visas were issued to high-income Chinese tourists with a 5-year validity.

Meanwhile, Japan's single-entry visa application procedures will also be simplified for students from 75 Chinese universities under the direct supervision of the country's Ministry of Education.

These application procedures will apply to registered undergraduates and post-graduates, as well as alumni who graduated from the 75 accredited Chinese schools within three years.

According to Liu Junhong, a researcher at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, the easing of Japan's visa policies likewise aim to boost the country's sluggish economy, which is still struggling from deflation and weak consumer demand.

Based on the data from the Japan National Tourism Organization, Chinese tourists to Japan last year more than doubled.

But what has caught the attention of local retailers is the spending power of Chinese tourists, who accounted for more than 40 percent of the total spending of foreign visitors to Japan in 2015.

Prior to Japan's move to ease its vis requirements for Chinese citizens, several countries have already issued 10-year visas to Chinese citizens including the US government which in 2014 started issuing multi-entry business and tourist visas valid for up to 10 years.

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