Ahead of the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair), the Chinese Embassy in Dhaka has encouraged Bangladeshi participants to follow the visa arrangements, announced by the Embassy, noting that the Embassy is committed to ‘lawful, clean and efficient’ visa services.

“Locally employed staff  are strictly prohibited from claiming to influence visa decisions or guarantee visa issuance for personal gain,” said the embassy, stressing that any violation will be dealt with in strict accordance with applicable rules and disciplinary regulations.

To facilitate the participation of Bangladeshi visitors in the Canton Fair, whose onsite exhibition will be held in three phases in Guangzhou from October 15 to November 4, the Embassy announced the visa arrangements on Tuesday.

Applicants for a Canton Fair visa are only required to submit the official invitation letter for the 140th Canton Fair, which is the sole mandatory application document.

“Incomplete or inaccurate visa application forms will result in the application being returned. To avoid delays, additional costs and disruption to travel plans, please complete the online visa application form carefully, fully and accurately,” said the Embassy.

China said forging or altering invitation letters, providing false information or submitting fraudulent application documents may result in visa refusal and may affect future visa applications.

Applicants have been advised not to entrust others or agencies with completing the application form on their behalf.

The Embassy said it has not authorised any agency or individual to provide visa services.

Visa issuance, including the visa category, validity, duration of stay and number of entries, will be determined by the Embassy in accordance with relevant regulations and each applicant's individual circumstances.

Applicants have also been advised to beware of fraudulent claims such as "guaranteed visa", "no visa, no fee", "inside connections" or "special channels."