CHINA issued the first group of visas with 10-year validity to US citizens on Wednesday, implementing a new agreement that is expected to boost exchange between the two countries.

At the Chinese Embassy in Washington, 23-year-old researcher Edmund Downie became the first American to receive the 10-year visa with multiple entries.

“I am glad that I’ve been granted the honor of being the first American to receive the 10-year visa,” Downie said. “I am excited to be able to keep going to China for the next 10 years and not have to worry about coming back to the visa office.”

In Beijing, US Secretary of State John Kerry handed out the first 10-year visas to a group of Chinese citizens during a ceremony at the US Embassy in Beijing.

“You are literally helping to write the next great chapter of the history between the United States and China,” Kerry said.