Half an hour after China announced it would remove quarantine requirements for foreign arrivals and allow departure for Chinese citizens, the country’s largest online agency, Ctrip, has increased searches for outbound destinations 10-fold, a sure sign that citizens are waiting ahead of time to return to Array.
Now, a week later, the country is lashing out at the dozen countries that impose “discriminatory” Covid restrictions on travelers departing China, which amounts to “political manipulation. “
“We do not believe that the entry restriction measures that some countries have taken against China are based on science,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a normal press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. “Some of these measures are disproportionate and fair. ” We strongly reject the use of Covid measures for political purposes and will take corresponding measures in reaction to other conditions through the precept of reciprocity.
Starting Sunday, January 8, travelers entering China will only need to provide a negative PCR check conducted within 48 hours prior to departure. This is a significant remnant of China’s “zero-Covid” strategy. Foreign travelers have necessarily been banned from entering China since 2020, with some exceptions for business visits or family circle members.
But a number of developing countries are reluctant to take travelers from China, raising concerns about China’s higher rate of covid infections and a lack of data on variants.
USA. The U. S. Department of Health and Prevention will begin requiring Covid-19 screening of travelers from China starting Jan. 5. All air passengers over the age of two will require a negative screening result within 48 hours prior to departure from China, Hong Kong or Macau.
Just 3 days before China’s announcement, the U. S. State Department was in charge of China. The U. S. Department of Health had reissued its Level 3 advisory, encouraging Americans to reconsider China, Hong Kong, and Macau “due to emerging COVID-19 cases, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, and similar COVID-19 restrictions. “.
From an economic point of view, Chinese tourists susceptible to splurging are very popular, as they tend to spend particularly more than visitors from other countries. In 2018, before the pandemic, for example, China’s 3 million visitors spent more than $36 billion. , according to data from the U. S. Travel Association. U. S. By comparison, Canada’s 21. 2 million visitors spent $22. 1 billion in the U. S. He was in the U. S. that same year.
“We look to the future to welcome Chinese travelers to the United States. The Biden administration’s highly targeted Covid strategy is moderate and appreciated,” U. S. Travel Association President and CEO Geoff Freeman said in a statement.
Covid needs for travelers from China will also be imposed in Canada, France, Britain, Italy and Spain. In Asia and the Pacific Rim, covid testing will be required for travelers from China to Japan, Australia, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea, and India. .
In North Africa, Morocco is taking a tougher stance; It bans arrivals from China starting today.