Chinese Foreign Ministry "Opposes Politicization of COVID-19 Prevention"
"Discriminatory Restrictive Measures Must Be Lifted"
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] The Chinese government has notified Korea-China airlines that it will conduct COVID-19 tests on arrivals from Korea starting next month on the 1st. The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it opposes the politicization of COVID-19 prevention measures and that this is a 'reciprocal measure' taken against the other country.
According to the Consular Section of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in China on the 31st, the Civil Aviation Administration of China informed airlines of both countries on the same day that all passengers arriving on flights from Korea will undergo polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests at the arrival airport. It is known that China is the only country implementing PCR tests on arrivals from a specific country, Korea. China, which abolished quarantine for arrivals as of the 8th of this month, had also stopped universal PCR testing for arrivals such as those on flights.
The implementation date is the day after the notification by Chinese authorities, on the 1st of next month. According to the notified details, if the PCR test result at the airport is positive, the arrival will be quarantined at their home or accommodation. The Consular Section stated that it is currently investigating the specific PCR test locations and timing, costs and who will bear them, and the quarantine period.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs made it clear that this decision is a countermeasure in response to Korea’s strengthened quarantine measures. Mao Ning, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a regular briefing that "a few countries have imposed unscientific entry restrictions on travelers from China, and China, with a pragmatic attitude, has communicated sufficiently with the relevant countries, explaining in detail the scientific and rational optimization of prevention measures and the current COVID-19 situation in China. However, it is regrettable that some individual countries still insist on discriminatory entry restrictions against China. China firmly opposes this and has reasons to take necessary reciprocal measures," he explained.
Spokesperson Mao added, "We consistently and firmly oppose the politicization of COVID-19 prevention measures and believe that discriminatory restrictions targeting China should be lifted. We hope to provide more convenience together with other countries for the normal exchange of people between China and foreign countries," he elaborated.
The Korean government, concerned about the spread of COVID-19 and the emergence of variants in China, has not issued short-term visas for Korea at diplomatic missions in China since the 2nd of this month, except for diplomatic/official purposes, essential business operations, and humanitarian reasons. Recently, the suspension period for visa issuance, initially announced to last until the 31st of this month, was extended to the 28th of next month. The Chinese government also suspended the issuance of short-term visas for Koreans traveling to China, excluded Korea from the visa exemption countries for transit, and on this day responded with the 'mandatory COVID-19 testing' measure.
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