In response to recent travel restrictions, China has halted the issuance of certain visas for South Korean and Japanese citizens.

Chinese authorities have ceased issuing specific visas to South Korean and Japanese nationals as a retaliatory measure against the Covid-related entry bans imposed on travelers from China.

The Chinese Embassy in Seoul announced that visas for business, tourism, medical treatment, transit, and personal matters for South Korean citizens would be suspended starting today. These measures could be revised if South Korea lifts its 'discriminatory' restrictions on Chinese travelers, the embassy stated.

In a similar move, the Chinese embassy in Tokyo declared it would suspend the issuance of standard visas for Japanese nationals, with no indication of when the service will resume.

These restrictions represent China's first direct retaliation against the growing number of countries requiring Covid tests for travelers from China. This comes after a surge in infections within China and concerns over a lack of reliable data following Beijing's decision to ease its strict Covid policies last month.

On January 2, South Korea escalated its measures by halting short-term visa applications at its consulates in China until the end of the month. Additionally, travelers from China are required to take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival and remain isolated until they receive negative results.

Starting January 5, South Korea imposed a new rule requiring travelers from China to present either a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours before departure or a rapid antigen test result obtained within 24 hours of traveling.

As of last Saturday, South Korea extended its testing requirements to travelers from Hong Kong and Macao, who must show proof of a negative Covid-19 test result. This can either be a PCR test within 48 hours of departure or a rapid antigen test within 24 hours before traveling.

Japan implemented on-arrival testing for all individuals who have either traveled from or spent time in mainland China in the past week. Those who test positive are required to quarantine for seven days and undergo further testing.

On Monday, Japan announced that starting January 12, all travelers arriving from Macau by direct flight will need to submit a negative Covid-19 test result taken within 72 hours before departure and will also be tested upon arrival.

Diplomatic conflict ensues

China's response came after a phone conversation on Monday between Foreign Minister Qin Gang and South Korea's Foreign Minister Park Jin. During the call, Qin expressed concerns over the restrictions and urged Seoul to adopt a more 'objective and scientific' approach, according to a Chinese government statement.

Both nations addressed the issue in their regular briefings on Tuesday. The South Korean government defended its Covid-related travel restrictions, asserting they were 'based on scientific and objective grounds.'

Lim Soo-suk, a spokesperson for South Korea's Foreign Ministry, emphasized that the government had been transparent in sharing information with the global community and had maintained communication with China throughout the process.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, reiterated Beijing's position, expressing strong opposition to what it sees as 'discriminatory' travel restrictions and warning that China would respond with 'proportionate countermeasures.'

Some countries, ignoring scientific evidence and the actual epidemic situation in China, have continued to impose unjust entry restrictions. We urge these countries to adopt appropriate pandemic control measures based on facts and science, rather than engaging in political manipulation and discriminatory actions that hinder normal international exchange and cooperation,” said the Chinese representative.

Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi voiced his opposition to China's decision, stating that Tokyo had formally requested through diplomatic channels that Beijing reverse the visa restrictions.

Hayashi, currently on a diplomatic trip across the Americas, expressed regret over China's move, telling reporters in Argentina, 'It is deeply regrettable that China has chosen to restrict visa issuance for reasons beyond just Covid-19 countermeasures.'

Concerns over variants

This decision comes shortly after China relaxed its strict border controls, which previously required all travelers—both Chinese nationals and eligible foreign visitors—to undergo multiple Covid-19 tests and mandatory hotel quarantine upon arrival.

In recent weeks, more than a dozen countries, including the United States, France, Canada, Japan, and Australia, have imposed Covid-19 testing requirements for travelers coming from China. This is in response to concerns about China's data reporting levels and the potential emergence of new variants. However, no new variants have been reported as of now.

Some global health experts have criticized these targeted travel restrictions as ineffective. They also expressed concerns that such measures could lead to an increase in racism and xenophobia.

Global health leaders reiterated their calls on Tuesday for China, along with other countries, to share more detailed data on the circulating Covid-19 variants.

Maria Van Kerkhove, the World Health Organization’s technical lead on Covid-19, emphasized the need for more virus sequences to be made available in public databases like GISAID. This would allow experts worldwide to analyze and track the virus more effectively.

She pointed out that many of the 'high-income countries' critical of China must also share their virus sequences to enable the global scientific community to track Covid-19 more efficiently.