China rejects criticism that its zero-Covid policies violate the rights of US diplomats
- Foreign ministry responds to Washington Post column contending that policies like forced stays in government quarantine centres breach Vienna Convention protocols
- Ministry spokesman says ‘foreign diplomatic and consular personnel in China are obliged to respect and comply with the Chinese regulations on pandemic prevention’
China has denied that its zero-Covid policies violate the rights of US diplomats, and reiterated that foreign envoys must comply with Chinese rules.
In response to a column in The Washington Post that strongly criticised Chinese pandemic controls being applied to diplomats, foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Tuesday that the measures were to protect the health of Chinese citizens and foreign residents alike.
These measures had helped to ensure that China maintained one of the lowest rates of infection and death in the world, Zhao said, so that all Chinese and foreign residents in China had enjoyed maximum protection.
Additionally, he said, despite more than two years of Covid-19, the Chinese economy and society have functioned well, which also served the interests of people and businesses of both domestic and foreign owners.
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China orders Covid lockdowns and mass testing as nationwide case numbers surpass 1,000
In the opinion piece, which was posted on the Post’s site on Thursday, columnist Josh Rogin contended that the harsh policies, including rolling lockdowns and forced quarantines, had “trampled on the rights of US diplomats to an extent previously unknown” and forced them to “live in constant fear”.
Rogin noted that US diplomats and their family members are supposed to be immune from being arbitrarily detained by the nations where they work, and said that the State Department had concluded that Covid-related detention in quarantine centres violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.