The Diplomat
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has assured that the travel restrictions imposed by numerous countries to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are “disproportionate and unacceptable,” serve “political purposes” and will receive a “response based on the principle of reciprocity.”
“We are willing to intensify communication with the rest of the international community and work together to defeat COVID,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a press conference, reported by her Department’s official website. “We do not believe that the entry restriction measures some countries have taken against China have any scientific basis,” she warned. “Some of these measures are disproportionate and simply unacceptable,” she said. “We firmly reject the use of anti-COVID measures for political purposes and will take corresponding measures in response to different situations based on the principle of reciprocity,” Mao added.
According to the spokeswoman, “China has actively participated in international cooperation against the pandemic and immediately joined the international response to the COVID challenge,” sharing “information in a timely, open and transparent manner in accordance with the law.” “Several days ago, the relevant Chinese authorities held a virtual meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) and held a technical exchange on the current situation of COVID, treatment and vaccination,” she continued.
“Health experts from many countries have stated that the main variant now spreading in China has been found elsewhere before, and that a new variant can emerge anywhere on the planet, which means that entry restrictions targeting China are unnecessary,” Mao Ning warned. “China believes that the COVID response measures of all countries should be scientifically based and proportionate” and that “they should not be used for political manipulation, there should be no discriminatory measures against certain countries, and the measures should not affect normal travel and people-to-people exchange and cooperation,” she said.
Several European and Asian countries, in addition to the United States, have approved new restrictions on travelers from China in response to the global alert over the uncontrolled increase of COVID-19 cases in the Asian country, especially in view of the removal of travel restrictions in China as of January 8 (in application of the Chinese government’s Zero COVID policy). WHO has called on the Beijing authorities to be more transparent with data on what could be the worst coronavirus outbreak in China since the pandemic began.
Foreign Ministry informs of new entry restrictions in Spain
In the case of Spain, the Official State Gazette published last December 31 the urgent measures of surveillance and sanitary control established by the Ministry of Health in view of the high transmission of the coronavirus in China. These measures, which take into account “the significant deterioration of the epidemiological situation with respect to COVID-19 in the People’s Republic of China” and “the lack of transparency and epidemiological information on the part of the Chinese authorities”, include an increase in controls at airports for travelers coming from the Asian country, who will be required to have a negative COVID-19 diagnostic test or a complete vaccination schedule.
For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed last Monday of the application in Spain, just since yesterday (January 3), of the new health control measures for air passengers from China, which will be in force, in principle, until February 15 and that “include the presentation of a digital EU COVID Certificate or equivalent or, failing that, a certificate of diagnostic test of active infection of COVID-19 with negative result”, either NAAT type (72 hours before the flight), or an antigen test (24 hours before). Passengers may additionally undergo a diagnostic test for active infection and, if deemed necessary, a medical evaluation.
Likewise, in its travel recommendations to China, renewed this Monday, the Foreign Ministry warns people who wish to travel to this country that it is “highly advisable” that they be vaccinated against the disease with vaccines authorized by China or the WHO.
