After China finally put an end to its zero-Covid policies on 8 January, reopening its borders to the world, several countries started imposing additional measures for travellers coming from China in fear of spreading the virus. At the time, Chinese authorities announced reciprocity measures and Japan and South Korea are the first countries to see them.
Soon after China reopened its borders, some countries, including the EU, started asking for negative tests form arrivals from China, either pre-departure or on arrival, or even both. “Countries should not engage in political manipulation or discriminatory practices”, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on 10 January, adding that the measures are discriminatory and in disregard of scientific facts and the actual epidemic situation.
Regrettably, a handful of countries, in disregard of science, facts and their actual epidemic situation, have insisted on taking discriminatory entry restriction measures targeting China. China firmly rejects this and will take reciprocal measures.
Wang Wenbin, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson
On the same day as the press conference in Beijing, the Chinese embassy in South Korea announced the halt of short-term visas (visitor, commercial trade, tourism, medical and general personal circumstances) to Korean nationals. “The above will be adjusted depending on the situation in which Korea cancels its discriminatory entry restrictions against China”, reads a statement from the embassy. The evening of the 10th, the embassy in Tokyo made a similar announcement, but providing no additional information besides suspending the visas.
Although many countries have reimposed the testing requirement on visitors from China, Japan and South Korea have also taken additional measures, which might be the reason they are the first ones targeted by the retaliation move. Japan restricted some flights from China, while South Korea stopped issuing tourist visas for Chinese nationals.
“It is regrettable that China unilaterally has taken visa suspension action for reasons other than steps for (tackling) the coronavirus”, said Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno. “Our government’s enhanced quarantine measures on travellers from China are based on scientific and objective evidence,” South Korea Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk defended the measures.
With millions of people expected to travel during the Lunar New Year holiday period, the virus is expected to spread even more across China’s territory, especially since many are travelling from the big cities to the countryside to be with their families, some for the first time in three years.
Before the pandemic, China was the world’s largest outbound tourist market. While the country itself re-opened its borders, the measures from the rest of the world make it unlikely for China to recover this status in 2023.
