China will allow citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, and Uruguay to enter the country without a visa. The measure, which is considered “a test,” will go into effect on June 1, 2025, and last until May 31, 2026, according to a communiqué the Chinese Embassy in Argentina published on Thursday.

Citizens from the South American countries will be able to travel for a maximum of 30 days, whether for business, tourism, family visits, cultural exchanges, or just because they’re in transit.

“The exemption of visas removes a barrier for many people from companies that decide at the last minute to go on business trips,” Alejandra Conconi, director of the Argentine-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement.

According to Conconi, companies could take advantage of the measure to import goods from China. She also recommended approaching “reliable certified companies” in order to acquire products or request commercial reports before making a money transfer, among other aspects.

The decision comes amid a declared trade war between China and the United States, with the Argentine government siding clearly with the White House.

On Friday, United States President Donald Trump’s special envoy for Latin America, Mauricio Claver-Carone, said that the U.S. wants Argentina to end its currency swap with China. “While [Argentina] has a swap, it is tied to China, and it depends on it economically. So, Argentina is not free,” he said. 

Claver-Carone had already made a similar comment last month.

The swap acts as a loan from the Chinese central bank that its Argentine counterpart can activate. First signed in 2009, its current iteration makes US$17.7 billion available to the Argentine monetary authority until mid-2026.

The Chinese embassy in Argentina released a communiqué on Friday questioning the U.S.’s “meddling.” The statement added that the U.S. “has no right to question” the swap line and that imposing orders “is not in keeping with the so-called freedom [the U.S.] claims to defend.”

“Goodbye, Carone!” the communiqué ended, echoing media reports that Claver-Carone will leave his position before the end of May.