OVC sees surge in APEC card applications

Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone (Optics Valley of China, or OVC) experienced a significant surge in APEC card applications in 2025, with both batch and individual applications increasing by 56 percent and 88 percent, respectively. Demand was particularly notable among companies in the smart manufacturing, biopharmaceutical, and high-tech sectors.

This surge in applications reflects the robust growth of OVC's outward-oriented economy in 2025, with foreign trade volumes for industrial enterprises rising by approximately 15 percent and high-tech product exports increasing by more than 15 percent.

The APEC card is a multilateral visa facilitation initiative that promotes business travel within the Asia-Pacific region. Chinese cardholders can travel freely among 16 APEC economies, including Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Peru, Mexico, and Russia, for five years without needing individual visas. Cardholders can stay for up to 60 days in economies like Indonesia and the Philippines, 90 days in Japan and Australia, and up to 180 days in Mexico.

OVC has tailored its services to meet corporate needs, offering one-on-one guidance on card applications, assistance with documentation, and resolution of various application challenges. The "Waishitong" module of the Wuhan International Trade Digital Platform also facilitates a streamlined one-time online application process.

"Our executives can now freely travel to Japan, Australia, and other economies without preparing visa materials months in advance, saving significant time and administrative costs," said an executive from Silicon Integrated Co.

OVC will continue to promote APEC business travel cards and other foreign policies to facilitate the global expansion of its enterprises.