China to scrap Covid tests for inbound travellers, 8 months after reopening

China will no longer require negative Covid-19 test results from inbound travellers starting from Wednesday.

The announcement was made by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday.

After three years of stringent measures, including compulsory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests and quarantine upon arrivals, China in January scrapped its controversial zero-Covid policy and opened its borders, meaning there would no longer be compulsory quarantine upon arrivals.

In January, travellers were required to submit a health declaration stating that they had produced a negative PCR test within 48 hours of boarding.

The rules were further relaxed in April when incoming travellers only had to declare a negative RAT test taken within 48 hours of boarding.

Travellers have been required to tick positive or negative in the health condition section in the health declaration form. For many, completing the form has been more a matter of formality given that it was difficult to verify the declaration since the tests were conducted by the travellers themselves.

Brics summit: African countries wait in the wings for membership expansion

With the scrapping of the self declarations, China has removed the last of its Covid-19-related entry requirements – nearly eight months after it reopened to the world.

China is one of the last countries to drop the Covid-19 test requirements and open its borders. Beijing imposed the most stringent Covid-19 containment measures in the world, including compulsory quarantine, lockdowns, contact trawhecing apps, and compulsory swab tests – long after most of the rest of the world had reopened borders and resumed economic activities.

02:50

World Health Organization announces Covid-19 is no longer a global health emergency

The removal of the controversial zero-Covid policy in mainland China followed protests in various parts of the country, though the government denied its decision had anything to do with them.

Since then, Beijing has been eager to resume long disrupted economic activities, such as trade, tourism and international travel.

In its post-zero-Covid era, China’s domestic tourism has rebounded to 90 per cent of pre-Covid levels, with signs that outbound tourism is also picking up. However, inbound tourism remains sluggish.

China’s rising Covid cases and new variant spark concerns about ‘third wave’

According to China’s National Immigration Administration, a total of 168 million arrivals and departures from the mainland were recorded in the first half of this year – just 49 per cent of the pre-Covid level in 2019.

While there was no breakdown available for the number of inbound travellers, the administration said the figure only included 8.4 million foreigners.

The mainland tourism industry has also called for measures to prop up inbound international tourism.

In May, Xiao Qianhui, chairman of the China Smart Tourism Association, said in a seminar in Wuxi in Jiangsu province that the exodus of foreigners during the Covid-19 pandemic and prevailing anti China sentiment in other countries had impacted inbound tourism in China.

05:00

Parents fear impact of China’s zero-Covid measures as post-lockdown college entrance exams begin

He called for a “national strategy” to boost inbound tourism.

Some industry analysts also blamed a lack of flights for the struggles.

By April this year, international airline seat capacity had only recovered to around 37 per cent of pre-Covid levels, according to a report by consultancy McKinsey.

In August, Chinese authorities rolled out measures to make it easier foreign investors and businesspeople to apply for visas on arrival as part of China’s efforts to attract more overseas investment.

South China Morning Post