China snubs Canada as it lifts travel bans, blames ‘hyping up’ of foreign interference claims
- The Chinese embassy cited a rise in ‘anti-Asian acts and words’, saying Beijing wants its citizens to be able to travel in a safe and friendly environment
- Dozens of countries were put back on an approved list for tourists last week, including the US, Japan, Germany and Australia, in an easing of pandemic-era rules
China – a major source of outbound tourists – has left Canada off a list of countries now approved for travel by tour groups, its embassy in Ottawa said on Wednesday, due to anti-Beijing sabre-rattling by Ottawa.
Last week Beijing lifted a Covid-era ban on group tours to dozens of countries including the United States, Germany, Japan and Australia, but not Canada.
Travel agents turn to the list of approved destinations when promoting and arranging foreign holidays for Chinese nationals. There are currently 138 countries on the list.
The Chinese embassy in Ottawa said in a statement that the reason behind the snub was “the Canadian side has repeatedly hyped up the so-called ‘Chinese interference’.”
02:13
Chinese Canadians caught in the crossfire as Canada-China tensions rise
It said “rampant and discriminatory anti-Asian acts and words are rising significantly in Canada” and “the Chinese government attaches great importance to protecting the safety and legitimate rights of overseas Chinese citizens and wishes they can travel in a safe and friendly environment.”
The United Nations tourism agency (UNWTO) says China grew to be the biggest tourism source market in the world before the pandemic. In 2019, Chinese tourists spent a collective US$255 billion on international travel.
