Supervisor Elham AbolFateh
Editor in Chief Mohamed Wadie

China Condemns 'Unacceptable' COVID Test Rules for Travelers


Tue 03 Jan 2023 | 02:53 PM
Israa Farhan

On Tuesday, China slammed the decision by countries that require COVID-19 testing from visitors arriving from China, vowing to take "countermeasures" in response.

Countries such as the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom, and Italy announced late last week that arrivals from China would have to present a negative test in order to enter their borders. 

Since then, more countries, including South Korea and India, have implemented similar measures.

"Some countries have taken entry restrictions targeting only Chinese travelers," China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters.

"This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable," she added, warning China could "take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity."

Last week, Beijing decried the new rules as "discriminatory."

Despite the threat of reciprocal action, French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on Tuesday that "we're performing our duty in asking for tests," and said France would "continue to do so" for the foreseeable future.

China has seen a significant rise in COVID-19 infections and deaths since December. After weeks of protests against the very strict quarantine measures imposed by the country's "zero COVID" policy, President Xi Jinping's government has finally abandoned that goal after nearly three years. The move also saw China ease entry restrictions for visitors.

Since then, other countries have complained about Beijing's lack of transparency about their COVID numbers, especially after the government announced it would change the way it counts deaths from the virus, and that it would no longer report asymptomatic cases.

During the height of the pandemic, countries around the world imposed quarantine, testing, and vaccination requirements on international arrivals based on the condition the traveler came from.