Resumption of Short-Term Visa Issuance from China... Will China Lift 'Reciprocal Measures'?

Jungdaebon, Chinese Embassy Resumes Short-Term Visa Issuance on 11th
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Says "Necessary Communication with China" Amid Eased Measures

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hee-jun] As the government decided to resume issuing short-term visas for arrivals from China, attention is focused on whether China will also ease its entry restrictions on Koreans.

An official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told reporters on the 10th that "we are communicating with the Chinese side as necessary" regarding discussions between Korea and China following our government's decision to resume issuing visas for arrivals from China.

The official said, "Our quarantine authorities have decided to lift the short-term visa restrictions on China early, judging that the COVID-19 situation in China has entered a stabilization phase."

On the 1st, when the Chinese government conducted COVID-19 tests on arrivals from Korea, passengers of a flight to Guangzhou, China, were checking in at Terminal 2 of Incheon International Airport.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Earlier, Kim Seong-ho, the 2nd General Coordinator of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters for COVID-19 (Head of the Disaster and Safety Management Headquarters at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety), announced at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting that the issuance of short-term visas at Chinese diplomatic missions would resume from the 11th. Since the end of last year, as the resurgence of COVID-19 in China became prominent, our government restricted the issuance of short-term visas for travelers from China and the addition of flights from the 2nd of last month. Measures were also taken to require submission of PCR negative test results conducted within 48 hours before entry.

In response, the Chinese government suspended the issuance of short-term visas for Koreans traveling to China on the 10th of last month. Furthermore, Korea was excluded from a program allowing foreigners transiting through China to stay in transit cities for 3 or 6 days when traveling to third countries, and COVID-19 tests are being conducted on arrivals from Korea.

However, as our government's quarantine measures are being eased and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that discussions with China are ongoing, attention is focused on whether the entry restrictions on arrivals from Korea, which China had imposed as 'retaliatory' measures, will also be lifted.