Cameroonian and Chinese holders of diplomatic or service passports no longer require visas to enter either country

The accord was sealed yesterday July 7, 2016 in Yaounde between the Minister of External Relations and the Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon.

Cameroonian and Chinese holders of diplomatic or service passports will no longer require visas to enter either country.

The agreement to this effect was signed yesterday July 7, 2016 in Yaounde between the Minister of External Relations, Lejeune Mbella Mbella, on behalf of the government of the Republic of Cameroon and the Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon, Wei Wenhua, for the People's Republic of China. The agreement entails the reciprocal suppression of short-stay visas for nationals of both countries who are holders of diplomatic or service passports.

Speaking during the signing ceremony in the Ministry of External Relations, Minister Lejeune Mbella Mbella noted that Cameroon and China enjoy excellent friendly and bilateral ties evidenced by the recent State visits of President Paul Biya to China and a similar visit of the then Chinese Head of State, Hu Jintao to Cameroon. The agreement, Minister Mbella Mbella added, comes to consolidate the relations between both countries and the confidence of their State institutions. He stated that the agreement does not in any way favour illegal emigration between the two countries but rather facilitates the movement of officials of their respective administration.

According to Ambassador Wei Wenhua, the agreement is part of the the implementation of the recommendations of the Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs during his visit to Cameroon in January 2015. The accord, the Ambassador added, will foster the 45- year- old Sino-Cameroon friendly and bilateral ties. China, Ambassador Wenhua stated, is Cameroon's first commercial partner, while Cameroon is the second beneficiary in Africa of Chinese investments.

The agreement was signed in the presence of the Delegate General for National Security, Martin Mbarga Nguele, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of External Relations in charge of Relations with the Commonwealth, Dr. Joseph Dion Ngute, as well as senior officials of the Chinese Embassy in Yaounde, amongst others.