MINSK, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Belarus and China are going to sign an agreement on 30-day visa-free regime, Belarusian parliament speaker Mikhail Myasnikovich said here on Monday in a joint interview with visiting Chinese journalists.

The signing of a visa-free agreement for the period of up to 30 days will be one of the main event of the Year of Tourism of Belarus in China, greatly promoting the development of tourism, the official said.

Several events will be held in the Year of Tourism to promote the development of Belarus as a tourist destination, including Belarusian art exhibitions and special activities with Chinese airlines, he added.

More than 20,000 tourists from China visited Belarus in 2017. With the development of medical tourism, the number of Chinese visitors to Belarus may increase, Myasnikovich said.

On February 13, 2018, Belarus and China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) waived visas and started visa-free regime.

The Belarusians and the Chinese citizens living in Hong Kong will be allowed to enter, leave, remain within, or transit through Hong Kong and Belarus, respectively, without visas for the period of up to 14 days.