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Coronavirus: Beijing decries ‘political’ curbs on Chinese travellers, threatens to reciprocate
- Foreign ministry spokeswoman says Covid-19 restrictions targeting flights from China are ‘unacceptable’ and ‘lack scientific basis’
- More than a dozen countries, including Britain, Japan, South Korea and the US, impose new measures, with Morocco declaring a blanket ban on arrivals
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Beijing denounced entry restrictions on Chinese travellers as unscientific and “unacceptable” and vowed to reciprocate measures imposed by countries such as Morocco, which has declared a blanket ban on those arriving from China.
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More than a dozen countries, including Britain, Japan, South Korea and the United States, have stepped up Covid-19 curbs on travellers from China.
The restrictions come as Beijing prepares to reopen its borders on January 8, just over a month after lifting its zero-Covid policy.
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Japan mandates Covid-19 testing for visitors from mainland China amid Covid-19 surge
Japan mandates Covid-19 testing for visitors from mainland China amid Covid-19 surge
“We are firmly opposed to the practice of manipulating pandemic measures for political goals, and will take corresponding measures according to the principle of reciprocity and according to different situations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday.
The requirements for travellers from China include preflight Covid-19 tests, in-flight masking and arrival tests. Morocco has taken it a step further and banned entry to all travellers arriving from mainland China.
The latest measures “do not in any way affect the strong friendship between the two peoples, and the strategic partnership between the two countries”, the Moroccan foreign ministry said on Sunday.
Spain requires either a negative Covid-19 test or proof of vaccination recognised by the World Health Organization, including the Chinese-made Sinovac and Sinopharm jabs.
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