Foreign envoys voice support for China’s pandemic response, say curbs optimized at right time

Travelers exit Beijing Capital International Airport’s Terminal 3 on Jan 8 after it reopened for international arrivals. Under China’s optimized COVID policy, passengers arriving on the mainland are no longer required to undergo quarantine and nucleic acid tests. (ZOU HONG / CHINA DAILY)

Foreign diplomatic envoys in Beijing as well as people from across continents have voiced appreciation for China’s recent optimization of COVID-19 response measures, particularly the lifting of quarantine tests that took effect on Jan 8, as allegations against the country’s refining of its response policies are amplified by various media outlets and government officials in Western countries.

The envoys echoed infectious disease experts from around the world who have voiced opposition to Western governments’ restrictive policies for travelers from China, saying such measures are unscientific, unnecessary and are political displays.

China’s battle against COVID-19 has truly been the people’s fight, with the country overcoming the challenges due to the whole-government and whole-of-nation approach, Pakistan’s Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque said, adding that the Chinese resolve and solidarity in the pandemic fight has been admirable and offers lessons for the world.

“I must say that I’m so impressed (with) the way the entire Chinese nation (had) come forward under the guidance of the central government to fight the pandemic, which has been a challenge not only for China but for all of global humanity,” Haque told China Daily in Hong Kong.

The diplomat said he has been in Beijing for the last years and he has seen firsthand China’s efforts to combat and control the pandemic. In 2021, Haque visited Wuhan and met some of the heroes who were on the front line in the battle.

China had a decisive victory against COVID-19, Haque said. China is “a large country of 1.4 billion people. They (needed) to have certain policies that could ensure the safety of the people, so the country made a national effort to save lives,” he said.

Aldo Alvarez, El Salvador’s ambassador to China, also said that over the past three years, China’s pandemic response measures have protected lives, especially among vulnerable groups such as the elderly and people with underlying diseases.

China’s COVID-19 response has been adapted in accordance with the evolving situation. The Chinese government published 10 versions of guidelines as the dominant variants moved from Alpha to Beta to Delta and now the less virulent Omicron. 

The latest version of the guidelines, which is believed to be more scientific and targeted, was issued on Jan 6.

Hassane Rabehi, Algeria’s ambassador to China, said he believes the measures taken by the Chinese authorities to lift COVID-19 restrictions are based on scientific evaluation.

“It is certain that the measures will meet the expectations of all Chinese and different partner countries with China, because they will enable people to move better and will strengthen economic and trade exchanges,” he said.

Starting on Jan 8, the country downgraded management of COVID-19 in accordance with the law on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases, a major shift in epidemic response policies.

Haque said the recent adjustment in virus control measures announced by the Chinese government is based on logic, reasoning and scientific analysis. 

Alvarez said the readjustment of China’s COVID-19 policies was timely and necessary in line with the development of the pandemic, the mutation of the virus and the nation’s reality, he said. The country’s optimization of its responses will encourage more inbound and outbound travel and further boost trade and business exchanges.

Since the pandemic started, some Western countries and media outlets have shown prejudice toward China and have never stopped questioning and criticizing it. Whatever measures China took in response to the pandemic — from lockdown to the dynamic zero-COVID policy and the recent relaxation of border policies — they would blame China for its policy.

Countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and Japan have required travelers from the Chinese mainland to provide negative COVID-19 test results before departure or upon arrival.

The European Union issued a statement on Jan 4 encouraging member states to require all travelers from China to provide negative test results from no more than 48 hours before their departure from China, and that they conduct random testing of travelers from China.

These countries’ restrictions on travelers from China seem to serve no technical or scientific purpose, adding that he saw no reason to worry about Chinese tourists who plan to travel to his country, said Alvarez, the El Salvador envoy.

Fredrick Malire, counselor at the embassy of the Republic of Malawi, said the pandemic has disrupted global trade and people-to-people exchanges, and that it is good news for many countries that China has optimized its COVID response measures.

Keith Bennett, deputy chairman of the 48 Group Club in the United Kingdom, said: “China’s lifting of quarantine restrictions for inbound travelers will undoubtedly provide a major and much-needed boost to the global economy, not least as China is the world’s largest trading nation.

“Already, a couple of months ago, the head of Emirates airline predicted that there would be a bonanza of demand for seats on flights to China once restrictions were lifted. This reflected the strong demand and appetite from the international business community.”

Theresa Booth, joint chief executive of Chopsticks Club, said: “The loosening of restrictions will have benefits to all our Chopsticks Club members, particularly our Chinese members who can travel again to visit friends and relatives, especially those with elderly relatives in China for whom the three years of separation has been a huge worry.”

African traders have welcomed China’s changes to its COVID-19 response measures, which include no longer requiring inbound visitors to quarantine from Jan 8, expecting a boom in bilateral trade.

Kenya’s Health Cabinet Secretary, Susan Nakhumicha, said her country had no plans for new measures for passengers traveling to Kenya from China, saying such a move would hurt the economy.

“In my view, I do not think it is going to be necessary for us to impose any travel restrictions on travelers from China.”

Victorina Oningo, a Kenyan who lives in Qatar but imports car spare parts from China to Kenya, said China’s move to facilitate international travel is a big boost for her business.

Thadeus Musoke Nagenda, chairman of Kampala City Traders Association in Kampala, Uganda, said the news that inbound travelers to China will no longer need to go into quarantine when they arrive in the country has excited business people.

“We are happy that our traders will finally travel to China after a long period. This will make trade between the two countries easy.”

Xinhua contributed to this story.

Contact the reporters at caodesheng@chinadaily.com.cn