China further optimizes personnel exchanges between China and foreign countries, emphasizes opposition to politicization of epidemic

　　China News Agency, Beijing, January 13 (Reporter Li Chun) Since the implementation of the "Class B and B Control" for the new crown virus infection on January 8, China has adopted a series of measures to further optimize the exchange of Chinese and foreign personnel.

After the implementation of the new policy, how has the number of people entering and leaving the country changed?

Will the new mutant strain cause a new round of epidemics?

What are the considerations for adopting reciprocal entry restriction measures?

At the press conference of the joint defense and joint control mechanism of the State Council of China on the 13th, the heads of relevant departments responded and interpreted this.

On January 13, the joint prevention and control mechanism of the State Council of China held a press conference in Beijing on optimizing the management measures for the exchange of Chinese and foreign personnel, and answered questions from the media.

Photo by China News Agency reporter Jia Tianyong

　　The number of inbound and outbound tourists increased by nearly half

　　Since the implementation of the "Class B and B Control", the number of Chinese entry and exit personnel has shown a steady growth and orderly recovery.

According to Liu Haitao, director of the Border Inspection and Management Department of the National Immigration Administration, from January 8 to 12, immigration management agencies across the country inspected 490,000 people entering and leaving the country every day, an increase of 48.9% compared with before the implementation of the "Class B and B Control" policy. It is 26.2% of the same period in 2019.

　　Liu Haitao also said that since January 8, the number of mainland residents applying for entry and exit documents has reached 1.351 million, an increase of 129.4% compared to before the policy was implemented.

Among them, 353,000 people applied for ordinary passports, an increase of 89.8% compared with that before the implementation of the policy.

There were 998,000 applications for endorsement of documents to and from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, an increase of 147.6% compared with that before the policy was implemented.

　　International flights have also shown a recent growth trend.

Kong Fanwei, deputy director of the Flight Standards Department of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, said that the number of pre-planned international passenger flights this week was 563, covering 63 countries, returning to 6% and 87.5% of the pre-epidemic levels respectively.

　　"For some time to come, with the further increase in demand in the international aviation market, it is expected that the production of international air transport will continue to maintain a steady recovery trend." Kong Fanwei said.

　　Measures such as nucleic acid testing 48 hours before boarding are reserved

　　After the implementation of the "Class B and B Control", China has canceled the requirements for people coming to China to declare health codes at Chinese embassies and consulates abroad, and centralized quarantine after entry, but still retains measures such as nucleic acid testing 48 hours before boarding.

　　Why keep relevant measures?

Will it affect personnel exchanges?

When answering a question from a reporter from China News Agency, Wu Xi, director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that "Class B and B management" is not "regardless" of Class B. "What we want to prevent is the cross-border spread of the virus. What we want to facilitate is personnel. cross-border movement".

　　She pointed out that the requirement for people coming to China to undergo a nucleic acid test 48 hours before boarding the plane is to ensure that travelers are not infected with the virus, and to ensure a safer journey and prevent the spread of the virus.

After landing, the customs will conduct antigen detection on those who have symptoms or report abnormalities for the purpose of early detection, early treatment, and early isolation.

　　"If the passengers themselves have no symptoms or are not infected with the virus, these measures will not have any impact on their travel." Wu Xi said.

　　XBB did not cause a local outbreak in China

　　The new crown epidemic is not over yet, and the virus is still mutating.

Chen Cao, a researcher at the Institute of Viral Diseases of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said that as of January 10, 72 recombinants of the Omicron variant strains have been found around the world, of which XBB and its sub-branches are mainly prevalent.

　　According to him, since October last year, China has reported a total of 16 local cases of XBB, all of which are XBB.1 evolutionary branches.

From December 1 last year to January 12 this year, China monitored only one local case of XBB infection.

During the same period, there were 33 imported cases of XBB and its sub-branches from 20 countries and regions.

　　Chen Cao pointed out that China faces a greater risk of importing XBB and its sub-branches and causing local related cases.

"But based on the current monitoring data in our country, XBB has not formed a local epidemic."

　　After the adjustment of entry measures, once the mutated strain is introduced into China, will it trigger a new round of epidemics?

　　Chen Cao said that the immune system has immune memory for the new coronavirus infection, and even if a new variant of Omicron appears, the possibility of causing a large-scale local epidemic is extremely low.

However, for vulnerable groups and high-risk groups, infections or even secondary infections may occur due to the introduction of new mutant strains of Omicron.

　　Against politicization of the epidemic

　　After China announced the implementation of "Class B and B Control", many countries welcomed this and expressed confidence in China's anti-epidemic policy.

There are also a small number of countries that ignore science and facts and adopt a policy of restricting entry to China alone.

China has taken relevant reciprocal measures in this regard.

　　Wu Xi pointed out that no country would allow other countries to implement discriminatory policies against itself.

The reciprocal measures China has taken against these countries are to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and to maintain the normal flow of personnel between countries.

It is hoped that relevant countries can cancel discriminatory measures against China as soon as possible to ensure the positive development of bilateral relations.

　　Liu Haitao also said that a small number of countries have adopted excessive and discriminatory restrictive measures against the entry of Chinese citizens, and national immigration management agencies have taken reciprocal measures.

"Countries' epidemic prevention management measures should be scientific and appropriate, and should not have discriminatory practices, and should not affect the normal international flow of personnel and exchanges and cooperation."

　　"We understand that various countries have taken reasonable epidemic prevention measures," Wu Xi said, "What we oppose is discriminatory practices or politicization of the epidemic." (End)