China's government says it will drop quarantine requirements for inbound travelers starting on January 8.

The move marks a shift from the current policy of requiring all arrivals to quarantine at hotels or other facilities for five days, followed by three days of self-isolation.

Officials say visitors will still have to undergo PCR testing within 48 hours of their departure for China.

Beijing is also planning to improve the availability of visas for foreign nationals visiting for business or educational purposes, and to drop the limit on the number of international flights to and from the country.

The officials say outbound travel by Chinese nationals will be restored in an orderly manner, keeping the state of COVID-19 infection in other countries in mind.

The move to promote cross-border travel comes at a time when China faces an economic slump which has been largely blamed on its previous zero-COVID policy.

The latest decision is seen as an attempt by the government to facilitate economic recovery, despite a surge in cases nationwide following the relaxation of restrictions earlier this month.