China issues tourist passports in big move to move away from Covid restrictions – with Hong Kong scrapping quarantine rule | world News

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China is preparing to issue normal passports and visas in a major step away from the COVID measures that isolated the country nearly three years ago – with Hong Kong announcing that people who test positive for the coronavirus will no longer have to be quarantined.

Beijing’s announcement means millions of Chinese can travel abroad for the Lunar New Year holiday next month.

This represents the risk of the spread of the Corona virus with the increase in infections in the country.

Japan, India and Taiwan have responded to a surge in infections in China by ordering virus tests for travelers from the country.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington was considering similar steps.

China’s rollback of some of the world’s strictest anti-virus controls comes as President Xi Jinping’s government tries to reverse an economic recession.

Rules confining millions of people to their homes have kept China’s infection rate down but fueled public demonstrations and crushed economic growth.

China stopped issuing visas to foreigners and passports to its own people at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

China’s National Immigration Administration said that on January 8 it will start receiving applications for tourists’ passports to travel abroad.

It also said it would resume issuing approval for tourists and business people to visit Hong Kong, a Chinese territory with its own border controls.

The agency said it will receive applications for regular visas and residence permits.

It said the government would “gradually resume” allowing foreign visitors, but gave no indication of when large-scale tourist travel from abroad might be allowed.

Photo: China’s strict COVID controls sparked demonstrations

Health experts and economists have expected the ruling Communist Party to maintain travel restrictions to China until at least mid-2023 while it implements a campaign to vaccinate millions of elderly people.

Experts say this is necessary to prevent a public health crisis.

During the epidemic, Chinese people with family emergencies or whose business travel was deemed important could obtain passports, but some students and businessmen with visas to go to foreign countries were prevented from leaving by border guards. A small number of foreign businessmen and others who have been allowed into China have been placed in quarantine for up to one week.

Before the pandemic, China was the largest source of foreign tourists for most of its Asian neighbors and an important market for Europe and the United States.

The government has dropped or eased most quarantines, testing and other restrictions within China, joining the United States, Japan and other governments in trying to live with the virus rather than stamp out its transmission.

On Monday, the government said it would remove quarantine requirements for travelers arriving from abroad, effective January 8.

Foreign companies welcomed the change as an important step to reviving slumping business activity.

Business groups have warned global companies to divert investment away from China because foreign executives have been barred from visiting.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong is scrapping all social distancing measures except for the mandatory mask rule.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee also said close contacts with COVID patients would not have to be quarantined and mass gatherings would be allowed in public spaces.

Mr Lee added that international travelers to Hong Kong will no longer need to take a mandatory PCR COVID-19 test, and the city’s vaccine permit required to enter most venues will also be cancelled.

The lifting of the measures will take effect from December 29.

The Hong Kong government has confirmed that it will not provide the novel coronavirus vaccine to short-term visitors to the territory.

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