China's foreign ministry said on Monday that it would "seriously" study resuming a previous visa-free arrangement for Japanese visitors to China.

China also hopes Japan will work with Beijing to make cross-border travel between both countries easier, Wang Wenbin, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular news conference.

Wang was asked by a reporter why China has yet to restore a visa-free policy suspended during the pandemic while signing visa-waiver arrangements with countries such as Thailand.

Before COVID-19, Japanese citizens were able to enter China without a visa for up to 14 days. (Reporting by Liz Lee; Writing by Ryan Woo; Editing by Jamie Freed)