China resumes visa issuance to Japanese citizens --- Kyodo News

A passenger wearing a face mask waits for his train in the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station on new year's eve in Beijing, China on December 31, 2022. China has loosened its travel curbs as COVID-19 cases surge across the country but the US, Italy, Japan and Korea now require a COVID-19 test from travellers from mainland China. Wu Hao, EPA-EFE/File A passenger wearing a face mask waits for his train in the waiting hall of Beijing South Railway Station on new year's eve in Beijing, China on December 31, 2022. China has loosened its travel curbs as COVID-19 cases surge across the country but the US, Italy, Japan and Korea now require a COVID-19 test from travellers from mainland China. Wu Hao, EPA-EFE/File BEIJING (UPDATE) - China said Sunday it will resume issuing ordinary visas for Japanese citizens, a procedure it suspended in early January in protest of Japan's tightened COVID-19 measures for travelers from China, in a move that could thaw bilateral relations and ease concerns among Japanese businesses operating in China. The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo said it was resuming issuance the same day. The end of the restrictions came as Beijing focuses on the recovery of its economy battered by stringent antivirus measures involving lockdowns and a subsequent explosion of infections later in 2022. Beijing has similarly halted issuing visas to South Korean citizens but yet to announce the restart of the procedure. China had approved issuing some types of visas to Japanese and South Korean citizens as exceptions made for diplomats, government officials and businesspeople facing urgent needs. Japan, South Korea and a number of other countries have tightened border controls on travelers from China as it reopened its borders and scrapped quarantine measures on Jan. 8. They cited a lack of credible infection data and fears that a new virus variant could emerge in China. On Jan. 10, Beijing halted visa issuance for Japanese and South Korean travelers, criticizing their entry restrictions on visitors from China as "discriminatory." Tokyo had lodged a protest with Beijing through diplomatic channels and demanded termination of the restrictions, which Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said "seem to have nothing to do with" countermeasures against COVID-19. Specifically, Japan currently requires travelers from mainland China to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of departure. In addition, all travelers from mainland China and those who have visited the country within seven days are required to take a PCR or high-sensitivity antigen test upon arrival in Japan. Those who test positive must quarantine at a designated facility for up to seven days. On Friday, South Korea extended its restrictions on issuing short-term visas for travelers from China through Feb. 28, citing concerns that the virus could spread further in the neighboring country following the Lunar New Year holidays. Chinese health authorities said last Wednesday that COVID-19 infections in China had peaked on Dec. 22 last year, with new daily cases reaching 6.94 million, after the end of lockdowns and frequent PCR testing earlier that month sparked a massive wave of cases. The number of new cases has since fallen to 15,000 as of last Monday. About 80 percent of the country's 1.4 billion population has already been infected, according to an official at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The center has also reported 6,364 COVID deaths in the week through last Thursday, about a half of the figure in the previous week. The official death count, which does not include those who died at home, has surpassed 70,000 since China drastically eased its antivirus measures on Dec. 7. China has said it will allow the resumption of group tours to 20 countries starting Feb. 6, but Japan and South Korea are not among the destinations.