- Sam Hancock
- BBC News
Many countries have decided to impose restrictions on the entry of the Chinese, for fear of an outbreak of the Corona virus
The United States is considering imposing restrictions on people coming from China, following Beijing announced its decision to reopen its borders next month.
US officials justified their decision by the lack of transparency regarding the spread of the virus in China, and the increasing cases of infection in the country.
Fear of transmission of the virus prompted Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan to tighten procedures for Chinese travelers, including those who hold a certificate confirming their negative infection with Corona.
Beijing said Covid measures must be taken on a “scientific” basis.
India also approved entry restrictions for the Chinese, but announced this before China’s decision to reopen its borders.
The Chinese authorities will resume issuing passports to their citizens wishing to travel abroad, starting from January 8.
Specialized websites indicated an increase in travel, which made some countries fear a possible outbreak of the Corona virus.
The media quoted the US authorities as saying on this matter: “The concerns of the international community are increasing due to the high incidence of coronavirus in China and the lack of transparency in the data.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin accused Western countries and the media of “stirring up” the people and “distorting China’s adjustment of its Covid-related policies.”
He said China believes that all countries’ handling of COVID should be “scientific and proportionate”.
Wang called for “joint efforts to ensure safe border crossing, ensure the stability of global industrial supply lines, and promote economic recovery and growth.”
Both Britain and Germany said that they are closely monitoring the situation, but that they do not currently intend to impose new restrictions on Chinese travelers.
A spokesman for the British Prime Minister said that the number of injuries in Britain is still “relatively small”.
A spokesman for the German Ministry of Health said that “there is no indication of the development of a more serious variant”.
The true number of injuries and deaths in China is not known, because the authorities have stopped issuing data in this regard. It is reported that hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and that the elderly are dying.
Last week, Beijing recorded 4,000 new cases of Covid per day, and a number of deaths.
Before easing movement rules, the authorities were urging people not to travel abroad.
Half an hour following Monday’s announcement that China would reopen its borders, data revealed that Chinese searches for overseas tourism venues had increased 10 times compared to last year, according to Trip.com.
Their favorite destinations were Macau, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and South Korea.
In a separate statement, Hong Kong’s leader, John Lee, announced Wednesday that his city will immediately remove all the latest Covid restrictions, with the exception of wearing a mask, which remains compulsory.
“The city has reached a high rate of vaccination, which stands as a barrier to the epidemic,” he said in a press conference.
The United States still requires visitors from abroad to prove they have been vaccinated once morest COVID-19 before entering the country.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website recommends that everyone who travels to the United States receive the vaccination before traveling, and carry a test result with them, but the recommendation is not legally binding.
The US officials, who did not give their names, said in a statement that they “follow science, listen to advice from public health experts, and consult with partners.”
The easing of Covid restrictions in China comes following weeks of unrest in which people took to the streets to protest once morest Xi Jinping and his government.
