by Lauren Canterberry
Post Date:
January 3, 2023

China calls COVID-19 travel restrictions unacceptable

Name: WORLD
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Chinese officials yesterday criticized COVID-19 testing requirements for Chinese travelers set by a growing number of countries around the world. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning claimed the restrictions are politically motivated rather than scientifically supported. Beijing threatened retaliation for the new policies but did not elaborate on specific countermeasures. China has seen a wave of new cases and deaths after removing almost all of its COVID-19 restrictions last month.

Which countries are involved? Australia and Canada this week joined more than 10 other nations that require travelers coming from China to receive a negative COVID-19 test prior to entry. Some experts are concerned that a lack of data on infections in China could allow new variants to spread quickly. International travelers to China are still required to show a negative test obtained within 48 hours of departure.

Dig deeper: Read Erica Kwong’s report on frustration over China’s zero-COVID policy.

Lauren Canterberry

Lauren Canterberry is a reporter for WORLD. She graduated from the World Journalism Institute and the University of Georgia with a degree in journalism, both in 2017. She worked as a local reporter in Texas and now lives in Georgia with her husband.