Delta applauds President Obama on Chinese visa extension

ATLANTA - Richard Anderson, CEO of Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) praised President Obama for reaching an agreement with China to extend the validity of short-term visas for visitors between both counties for up to a decade.

"This agreement between the U.S. and China to extend short-term visas for travelers between the U.S. and China will provide a significant economic boost to the U.S., and is expected to create hundreds of thousands of jobs nationwide," Anderson said. "China is becoming an increasingly important travel and tourism partner with the U.S., and this is an essential step in ensuring that the United States receives the economic benefits."

The extension is a reciprocal agreement between the United States and China that will increase the validity of short-term tourist and business visas issued to each other's citizens from one to 10 years – the longest validity possible under U.S. law – and increase the validity of student and exchange visas from one to five years.

Last year, 1.8 million Chinese visitors came to the U.S., contributing $21 billion to the economy and creating 100,000 jobs, according to the administration. The visa extension is expected to more than quadruple those numbers.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia