China blasts ‘unacceptable’ COVID-19 travel restrictions, claims political motivations for new rules

Chinese officials blasted foreign nations that announced “unacceptable” COVID-19 travel restrictions, vowing to take “countermeasures” in response. 

“Some countries have taken entry restrictions targeting only Chinese travelers,” China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters. “This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable.”

“We firmly reject using COVID measures for political purposes and will take corresponding measures in response to varying situations based on the principle of reciprocity,” she added.

Beijing also called the rules “discriminatory” despite the rules applying to all travelers from China, regardless of vaccination status or country of origin. Mao explained that the variant spreading through China “has previously been found elsewhere already,” but that hasn’t stopped other countries introducing restrictions.  

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A number of countries introduced travel requirements or restrictions in response to the quickly rising number of COVID-19 cases in China after Beijing rolled back its “zero-COVID” policies in response to nationwide protests. 

Some countries, including the U.S. and Britain, have reintroduced required testing pre-flight for anyone departing China. Others nations, including Japan and Italy, will only require testing upon arrival and quarantine for any COVID-positive travelers, TIME reported. 

Morocco is the only country to go to extremes and outright ban entry to all travelers arriving from China – a measure that goes into effect on Tuesday. 

The U.S. argued that restrictions were necessary since China has not provided total transparency, leaving the rest of the world unclear on the true extent of COVID-19 infections in the country. 

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The new Centers for Disease Control order affects any travelers coming from China, either directly or indirectly, as well as Hong Kong and Macau, and requires them to obtain a negative COVID-19 test no more than two days before traveling to the U.S. 

The policy will go into effect on Jan. 5 in order to give airlines time to put the policy in place and will affect all travelers two-years-old and older.

Masked travelers with luggage line up at the…