As a result of Beijing’s statement that it will issue ordinary passports and visas, millions of Chinese citizens will be able to go abroad for the Lunar Fresh Year holiday next month, and fears that China’s opening could lead to a new global spread of COVID are already being realized.
More than fifty percent of passengers on a China-to-Italy aircraft tested positive for COVID-19, as China prepared to open its borders despite a massive increase in infections.
Two flights into Milan were among the first to expose Chinese passengers to new obligatory testing requirements.
Guido Bertolaso, regional councilor for welfare in Lombardy, stated at a news conference: “On the first trip, 38% of the 92 passengers are optimistic. On the second day, 62 (or 50%) of 120 passengers are positive.”
On Wednesday evening, the United States became the sixth nation to impose restrictions on Chinese travelers, as China prepares to issue ordinary passports and visas in a major departure from the COVID procedures that have effectively isolated the country for over three years.
A further shift from restrictive COVID procedures occurred when Hong Kong eliminated its restrictive quarantine laws for coronavirus-positive individuals.
Due to Beijing’s statement, millions of Chinese citizens will be able to go abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday next month, for the first time since 2020.
After the announcement, international ticket reservations and visa information searches on the websites of Trip.com and Qunar increased five to eight times, respectively. Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Great Britain, and Australia were among the top destinations.
In what would be a spooky replay of early 2020, there are fears they could spread coronavirus internationally as domestic infections grow.
Japan, India, and Taiwan now require travelers from the United States to undergo viral testing.
The United States will mandate COVID-19 testing for Chinese travelers, health authorities informed reporters on Wednesday evening. Two days before departure from China, Hong Kong, or Macau, all passengers over the age of two will be required to provide a negative test result beginning on January 5.
China has relaxed some of the world’s strongest anti-virus rules as President Xi Jinping’s administration attempts to reverse an economic downturn.
The fact that millions of Chinese citizens were confined to their homes kept the country’s infection rate low, however, fueled protests and stifled economic growth.
At the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic in early 2020, China ceased granting visas to foreigners and passports to its citizens.
The National Immigration Administration of China has announced that it would begin accepting passport applications for travelers traveling overseas on January 8.
In addition, it announced that it will continue approving visitors and businesses to visit Hong Kong, a Chinese colony with border controls.
The agency stated that it will accept visa and residency permit applications.
It was stated that the government will “gradually resume” permitting foreign visitors, but no indication was given as to when large-scale international tourism might be permitted.
Health professionals and economists anticipated that the ruling Communist Party would maintain travel restrictions entering China until at least the middle of 2023 so that it could conduct a program to vaccinate millions of old people.
According to Chinese specialists, this is required to prevent a public health crisis.
During the pandemic, Chinese citizens with family emergencies or necessary job travel could acquire passports, but border guards prevented some students and entrepreneurs with permits from leaving the country.
The few foreign businesspeople and other individuals who were permitted entry into China were confined for up to one week.
Before the pandemic, China was the largest source of foreign tourists for the majority of its Asian neighbors and an increasingly significant market for the United States, Europe, and the United Kingdom.
The Chinese government has eliminated or loosened the majority of quarantine, testing, and other restrictions, joining other nations in attempting to live with the virus rather than eradicate it.
On Monday, the administration announced that, from January 8th, quarantine restrictions for international travelers will be eliminated.
Foreign corporations hailed the modification as a crucial move to boost sagging business activity.
Business groups have warned that multinational corporations are diverting their investments away from China as a result of travel restrictions for foreign executives.
Tesla shares plunged 11.4% on the S&P 500 on Tuesday after the electric vehicle manufacturer temporarily halted production at a factory in Shanghai, and numerous major indexes traded down as hopes for an economic revival were dampened by near-term concerns over a rise in criminal activity in China.
Meanwhile, Hong Kong is eliminating all social separation measures except the mask law.
John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, has stated that close contact with COVID patients will not be required to undergo quarantine and that public gatherings will be permitted.
Mr. Lee noted that international visitors to Hong Kong will no longer be needed to undergo a mandatory PCR COVID-19 test and that the city’s vaccine pass, which was necessary to enter the majority of venues, will be eliminated.
The removal of restrictions will go effective on December 29.
The Hong Kong administration has stated that short-term visitors will not be offered COVID immunization.
