In the context of the massive corona wave in China, the Beijing government has spoken out against other countries’ strict entry regulations for travelers from the People’s Republic. “The measures should not affect normal travel,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing on Tuesday. Chinese authorities have shared information about the recent spread of the virus in China with other countries in a “timely, open and transparent manner”.
The spokeswoman was reacting to the testing requirement for travelers from China, which some countries have introduced out of fear of possible new variants of the virus, including Italy, France, Spain and the US. Mao Ning said experts see no need for this because variants can pop up anywhere in the world. Responses must be “science-based and appropriate”. “No one should take the opportunity to carry out political manipulations or discriminatory reactions.” Since 2020, China itself has imposed strict entry restrictions, issued almost no visas and still requires quarantine until December.