China orders air passengers from Philippines to prove they don’t have Covid-19
- The directive affects a number of other countries, from Russia, Iran and Pakistan to Southeast Asian neighbours Thailand, Malaysia and Cambodia
- But it has raised suspicions the Philippines made the list because of Pogo employees, as most ordinary Filipinos are still barred from entering China
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In a statement on its website, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the certificates were required “to ensure the health and safety of international travel and reduce the risk of cross-border spread”, adding that the requirement also applies to passengers “ultimately bound for China” who transfer via the named countries.
Despite the wide-ranging nature of the directive, which also applies to a number of other countries and “will be adjusted as necessary” according to the ministry, there are suspicions the Philippines made the list because of Pogo employees.
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In a virtual round table on July 27 attended by Huang Xilian, the Chinese ambassador to Manila, prominent ethnic Chinese activist Teresita Ang-See asked about the “many returnees from Manila to China” who had “tested positive upon arrival”.
She specifically wanted to know about “Pogo workers” and whether China could “contact trace where they come from” so local governments in the Philippines could take action – referring to rumours about four Chinese nationals living in a building in Makati who allegedly “all tested positive” upon their return to Fujian province.
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“Is this true? And if so, is the Chinese government, because they are very, very good and very efficient in tracing the contacts of these people … [informing] our local governments where these returning Chinese came from?” she asked. Her question was not met with a response.
Beijing’s directive requiring health certification does not appear to apply to most ordinary Filipinos. According to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs, only diplomats and those granted visas on a case-by-case basis are allowed into China.
The Philippines too “remains off-limits to foreign tourists”, immigration official Grifton Medina said on August 7, although exceptions are made for holders of permanent immigrant visas and the dependents and spouses of Philippine nationals.
It was unclear how many Pogo employees hold such visas, or indeed how many of them there are in total. Industry regulator Pagcor – the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation – puts the number at 93,697 but other estimates range as high as 800,000.
It is not known how many Chinese Pogo workers have been infected because the Department of Health no longer releases data based on nationality. Since May, the police have raided at least four secret clinics catering to Pogo employees.
In addition to the Covid-19 “negative certificates” that China-bound travellers from the Philippines must produce from next week, each passenger must also obtain a certified “health declaration form” from the Chinese embassy in Manila or the consulates-general in the cities of Cebu, Davao and Laoag, the embassy said on Tuesday.
These forms require passengers to certify that in the 14 days before boarding their flight, they have not come into contact with “suspected or confirmed” Covid-19 patients and have taken protective measures such as wearing a mask while visiting “public spaces like hospitals, theatres, restaurants and leisure facilities” and while taking part in group activities.
As of Wednesday, the Philippines had reported more than 143,000 coronavirus infections – the highest tally in Southeast Asia after Indonesia – with more than 2,400 deaths.
