China announced on Monday that it will drop COVID-19 testing requirements for people arriving from overseas, as reported by news agency AP. In a press briefing in press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said that the pandemic testing requirements would be dropped starting Wednesday. It is a milestone toward ending the virus restrictions imposed in China since early 2020.
Earlier in March, China reopened its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic erupted. Back then, Beijing said that it will start re-issuing all categories of visas, reported the news agency Reuters.
This news of removing the last cross-border control measure to guard against COVID-19 came approximately a month after the authorities declared victory over the virus. This decision was part of a larger effort to normalise two-way travel between China and the rest of the world.
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The foreign ministry had announced that visa-free entrance will once again be available in parts of China that did not require them before the pandemic which included the southern tourist island of Hainan, a long-time favourite destination among Russians, as well as cruise ships passing through Shanghai port.
Guangdong, China’s most prosperous province allowed foreigners from Hong Kong and Macau to enter without a visa. This will be a boon for high-end hotels that cater to international business travellers. However, the insiders of the tourism sector do not expect a massive influx of visitors in the short run or a significant boost to the economy. In 2019, international tourism receipts accounted for just 0.9% of China’s gross domestic product.
The Asian Games, which is held every four years, will also take place this year in the eastern city of Hangzhou in September after being postponed last year due to China’s COVID concerns. But prospective visitors might not immediately arrive in droves, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, North Korea has finally approved the return of its citizens who were living abroad after three years of strict border restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Reuters, the state media on Sunday reported that the isolated country opened its border for passengers to travel.
KCNA news agency quoted the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters as saying on Saturday that the approval was aligned with its adjustment of the anti-epidemic degree following ‘eased worldwide pandemic situation.’ According to a report from the news agency Reuters, the statement read, “Those returned will be put under proper medical observation at quarantine wards for a week.”
This announcement comes just days after an Air Koryo flight which was travelling from Pyongyang landed in Beijing for the first time since the COVID-19-related pandemic began in 2020. Reuters reported that it was not immediately clear as to who was aboard the flight, however, the Western tour companies that operate in the isolated country said that it appeared to be a flight that would carry back North Koreans who were stuck in China due to border closures.
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