China: opening of post-Covid-19 borders variously appreciated

In China (illustrative image).

The World Health Organization (WHO) denounces for its part the controversial methods of Beijing to count the victims of the current wave of Covid-19.

© Tingshu Wang/Reuters

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

China authorizes, from this Sunday, January 8, its nationals to travel abroad.

A first in almost three years, while the country is awash in Covid-19 contamination.

In Hong Kong, if things happened calmly, the new situation has however prompted many countries, including the United States, to introduce PCR tests for travelers from China.

For many reasons, the concern remains.  

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In Hong Kong, the reopening of the borders - long awaited - took place in a completely orderly way, very calm even.

The train in which our regional correspondent,

, sat to the Lok Ma Chau border post, was still far from being full. 

On the Hong Kong side, we are waiting for the measures to be further relaxed

Lok Ma Chau is one of the seven crossing points that are open from today, and it is through there that about 70% of travelers must pass.

Of course we immediately recognize the people who go to China because they often have big suitcases on wheels and they are dressed more warmly than the people of Hong Kong, especially single people in fact or families. 

And the return train is almost empty.

In fact, since this morning there are 60,000 people who have the right to pass in both directions, it is much more than the 2,000 or 3,000 daily passages authorized until yesterday but it is still far from the 500 000 daily passages which were the rule before Covid-19.

On the Chinese side, many people are expecting the New Year holidays in two weeks and, on the Hong Kong side, we are also waiting for the measures to be further relaxed, for there to be no need to book online like now and for the fast train station reopens.

In the

United

States, the Chinese community deplores the mandatory PCR tests

The American decision to introduce PCR tests for travelers from China is deplored by Frankie Huang, a Chinese-American illustrator living in New York.

In a column published in the

, she fears that this measure will contribute to stigmatizing the Asian community, already targeted since the start of the pandemic: “

 .” 

The European Union last week encouraged its member states to mandate screening for air travelers from China.

Germany has also recommended that its nationals avoid traveling to this country.

With our correspondent in Berlin,

“ 

.”

The German Foreign Ministry recalled on the eve of the reopening of the Chinese borders that this country was facing an unprecedented wave of Covid-19 contamination for three years.

health watch institute

classified China from Monday among the countries where there is a threat of new variants of Covid-19.

A decision which also coincides with the entry into force of the measures decided in Europe.

Passengers from China will have to produce a negative Covid-19 test from Monday January 9 before departing by plane for Germany.

Random tests may be carried out when passengers arrive.

As in other countries, aircraft wastewater will be examined for possible new variants of Covid-19.

These rules are valid for three months.

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