China slams COVID rules for its citizens abroad, warns of countermeasures

China on Tuesday slammed fresh COVID test requirements placed by more than a dozen countries on citizens travelling abroad from its territory. Beijing has warned that it could take “countermeasures” in response.

As COVID cases rise in China, travellers to the United States, Canada, Japan and France along with a few other countries need to show a negative COVID test result on arrival.

Restrictions on Chinese citizens

“Some countries have taken entry restrictions targeting only Chinese travellers,” foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press briefing. “This lacks scientific basis and some practices are unacceptable,” she said, and warned that Beijing could “take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity”.

In December last year, China had relaxed rules and said that inbound travellers would no longer be required to quarantine.  This move made many Chinese citizens plan long-awaited trips to foreign countries.

Various countries have pointed towards China’s lack of transparency over Covid infection data. The risk of emerging new Covid variants is another reason why many countries have placed restrictions on travellers coming in from China.

(With Agency inputs)