Covid: China hits back at South Korea over entry restrictions, Seoul defends itself
Covid testing center established at Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea, December 30, 2022. AP
Text by: RFI Follow
2 mins
While, faced with the health situation in China, many countries have put in place entry restrictions for travelers from the Middle Kingdom, Beijing has decided to respond.
This Tuesday, January 10, China announced the suspension of visas for South Koreans.
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With our correspondent in Seoul,
Nicolas Rocca
The announcement made by the Chinese Embassy in Seoul is a response to South Korea's decision to stop issuing short-stay visas to Chinese nationals until the end of the month.
After denouncing what it considers to be discrimination practiced by Seoul, Beijing decides to raise its voice.
"
Our government's health measures for travelers from China are based on scientific evidence,
" the spokesperson for South Korean diplomacy defended on Tuesday.
An argument far from sufficient for Beijing, which had already expressed its dissatisfaction on Monday, during a telephone exchange between the Chinese and South Korean foreign ministers.
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It should be remembered that Seoul has gone a step further than other countries, by adding to the PCR tests a short-term visa suspension for the Chinese, except for humanitarian or diplomatic reasons.
A way for the South Korean government to avoid a possible influx of tourists from China, who represented a third of travelers in the country before the pandemic.
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China: 90% of the inhabitants of Henan province infected with Covid-19
Japan in sight?
In addition, a Chinese national has caused controversy in recent days by leaving his quarantine hotel after testing positive.
If Seoul claims that its restrictions are aimed at protecting its population, Beijing denounces discrimination based on no scientific fact and decides to respond with an identical decision.
According to several Japanese media, China would also have suspended visas for the Japanese.
►Also read:
how China went from “zero Covid” to “full Covid”
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