In the biggest changes to the quarantine rules since China closed its borders in March 2020, the mandatory quarantine for passengers arriving from abroad has been reduced to seven days in a government-run facility, plus three in home isolation. It will make it easier to enter the country, as is seen as a first step towards easing its border restrictions. Nevertheless, the controls remain tough compared to many countries that have completely reopened and dropped testing requirements.
Some of the relaxed rules announced on June 28 had already been in place since earlier this month in the capital Beijing, Wuhan in Hubei province, in Wuxi and Xuzhou in Jiangsu province and across Zhejiang. In addition, eight major cities in April cut their quarantine requirements from 14 to 10 days in a designated facility, a move that was followed in many other places.
The Chinese government has been sending signals that border controls could gradually be eased, as other countries are removing barriers for international travel 2½ years into the pandemic. As of June 20, foreign nationals have been allowed to visit immediate Chinese family members or foreigner family members with permanent residency in mainland China, and they no longer have to produce an invitation letter from a provincial-level authority when seeking an employment visa. Aviation authorities also said earlier this month that the number of international passenger flights would increase and that they were in talks with several countries to add more. Several airlines in China have said they plan to offer new international routes or resume them from this month.
It was also welcomed by the foreign business community, though the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China said it remained to be seen if the policy would be implemented by authorities across the country – noting that this has varied widely. “The European Chamber recognizes that China cannot open its borders completely due to relatively low vaccination rates, particularly among those aged 60 and above,” said Joerg Wuttke, President of the EU business group. “This, in conjunction with a slow introduction of mRNA vaccines, means that China may have to maintain a restricted immigration policy beyond the summer of 2023.”
Lei Zhenglong, an official with the National Health Commission, told reporters in Beijing that the policy change was based on “huge amounts of scientific evidence” collected from pilot schemes in April and May, as well as “the lessons learned” from recent outbreaks in Shanghai and Jilin province, Beijing is sticking to its tough “dynamic” zero-Covid response that aims to stop new cases from entering the country and stamp out local outbreaks. The new guidelines also call for all carry-on and checked luggage to be disinfected upon arrival in China, the South China Morning Post reports.
