[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] In response to overseas quarantine strengthening measures for arrivals from China, China has once again warned of 'reciprocal measures.'
At the regular briefing on the 6th, Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated regarding the European Union (EU)'s move to strengthen quarantine for arrivals from China, "In response to measures introduced by some countries, China will take reciprocal measures based on the principle of 'equality,' combining the COVID-19 situation and quarantine needs."
He added, "China has repeatedly emphasized that quarantine measures of each country must be scientific and appropriate, should not affect normal personnel exchanges and cooperation between countries, must not be discriminatory, and political manipulation should be absolutely avoided."
Furthermore, he stressed that European professional institutions have also expressed views that restrictions on travelers from China are unreasonable, and the EU should listen to such voices. On the 3rd, he also mentioned reciprocal measures based on the principle of equality.
The Global Times, affiliated with the Communist Party's People's Daily, also evaluated on the 6th editorial that some countries' quarantine strengthening measures for arrivals from China are excessive. It criticized that these are based on prejudice against China and political calculations rather than scientific judgment. The editorial argued, "In the post-COVID era, not only must the coronavirus be blocked, but 'political viruses' must be blocked even more."
The Chinese government will abolish quarantine for arrivals and PCR testing immediately after arrival, which had been implemented until now, starting from the 8th. Additionally, it will gradually allow overseas travel for its citizens, which had been restricted after the large-scale COVID-19 outbreak.
In this regard, some countries including South Korea, the United States, and Japan have been adopting measures to raise the 'threshold' for arrivals from China, such as 'COVID-19 testing immediately upon arrival.' They have pointed out the possibility of mass infections and the introduction of new variants through travelers from China, as well as insufficient information disclosure by the Chinese government.
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