On Monday, Hong Kong declared the U.S., France, and 14 other countries as high-risk for COVID-19, meaning that Hong Kong travelers from a total of 25 countries would now have to stay in 21-day mandatory hotel quarantines regardless of vaccination status. See how we collect data and find out why not all countries are included in the statistics. But any further opening provokes nervousness. [But] when the death rate becomes very low, having COVID-19 could be part of the norm.. To avoid that, China should prepare for a fundamental shift away from its "zero Covid" mindset once it achieves its 80 per cent vaccination target and reaches herd immunity by the end of the year . Ordinary Chinese associate the virus with fear and stigma, knowing that a single infected person may force thousands of neighbours, colleagues or classmates into quarantine. For which countries are the borders with China open? See how we collect data and find out why not all countries are included in the statistics. As a result, opening up could pose challenges to hospitals, especially in rural areas. The number of international flights has been kept to a handful a week, and as Chinese epidemiologists have acquired more experience of the improbable ways in which Covid is occasionally transmitted, quarantine has become stricter and longer. It has been about 2 years that foreign students cannot come to China, but there are still possibilities that C. https://www.wsj.com/articles/china-to-keep-covid-19-border-restrictions-for-another-year-11624361777. The change will have a profound effect on the borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life until the pandemic hit and the U.S. shut down nonessential travel. Im most concerned that we may end up with neither of these in the next 12 months, Cowling says. The Hong Kong government needs to get more people vaccinated, and then also be looking at booster shots before they can really start to relax their guard, he says. Vaccinated motorists line up to cross the border at the San Ysidro crossing port on the Mexico-US border in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on November 7, 2021. But long before the warning, some Americans and other Westerners with long-lasting professional ties with China had already grown wary of visiting both mainland China and Hong Kong. Non-Chinese vaccines might speed up the answer . But few data have been released about how Chinese vaccines cope with variants, or how long they work. Those with a head for heights should make an appointment with the horizontal skyscraper. On Tuesday, the city reversed course on a scheme that allowed residents to spend only seven days in quarantine if they could prove they were fully vaccinated and conducted a test to show that the vaccine provided enough antibodies to fight off infection. Chinas government also recently announced that it will not welcome foreign spectators for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, which are scheduled to start in February of next year. The government plans to achieve two negative tests from each person in the entire population of about 240,000 from the local Yantian region, before declaring the crisis over. Local officials have been fired over a few cases in their districts. California: Do Not Sell My Personal Information, Ten business trends for 2023, and forecasts for 15 industries, The weather system that influences the world. Here, Zhuang Pinghui and Simone McCarthy look into what it . Bloomberg View columnist Barry Ritholtz looks at the people and ideas that shape markets, investing and business. China now issues a few visas for temporary business and family visits. Is crazy to think he has a whole other side of the family he hasn't even met yet.". But if it continues on its current path, theres no telling when China will feel confident enough to reopen the border, or what criteria Hong Kong needs to meet leaving the city at the whim of the central government, simply waiting to be allowed in. At that time, Chinas top respiratory expert, Zhong Nanshan, revealed that the number inoculated was 3.56%, a proportion set to rise to 40% by the end of June. As of May 20, travelers from the United States and Canada no longer have to take a PCR test seven days before flying to China. International schools are braced for a fresh exodus this summer, it is said, including of teachers who have not seen families outside China for more than a year. Loved ones have missed holidays, birthdays and funerals while nonessential air travel was barred, and they are now eager to reconnect. The fired Google engineer who thought its A.I. I did not imagine that this longer wait would extend until the summer of 2021. China is the last large country in the world with a zero-covid policy. GDP in the first quarter of this year grew 18.3%; in the EU, it fell 0.6%. Will His AI Plans Be Any Different? Amazon Is Closing Its Cashierless Stores in NYC, San Francisco and Seattle, Amazon Pauses Construction on Second Headquarters in Virginia as It Cuts Jobs, Stock Traders Are Ignoring Blaring Bond Alarms, iPhone Maker Plans $700 Million India Plant in Shift From China, Russia Is Getting Around Sanctions to Secure Supply of Key Chips for War. More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status. Sign up here. China is basically going to pursue the zero-tolerance strategy for the foreseeable future, which means Hong Kong can either go in opposition (and open internationally) or align with China.. Land travel from Mexico and Canada will require proof of vaccination but no test. Airlines will also collect information about passengers for contact tracing efforts. The U.S. lifted restrictions Monday on travel from a long list of countries including Mexico, Canada and most of Europe, allowing tourists to make long-delayed trips and family members to reconnect with loved ones after more than a year and a half apart because of the pandemic. Chinas COVID-zero playbook for battling the virus has proved successful against the Delta variant of COVID-19. It is true that China can afford to be in no . Did you encounter any technical issues? (Ambassadors may quarantine at home for 21 days, but only if their residence is a detached house and they are driven there with a police escort.). The provisional timeline of the second half of 2022 was set during a mid-May meeting of the countrys cabinet, or State Council, attended by officials from Chinas Foreign Ministry and National Health Commission, among other government bodies, one of the people said. Travelers at Shenzhen Bay Immigration Control Point in Hong Kong on September 15. Some of the 14 countries that share a border with China are Russia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Nepal and Laos. Many have waited for more than a year to reunite with loved ones. Yet the government has stood firm repeatedly emphasizing that its priority is reopening its border with mainland China, not with the rest of the world. Evergrande is one of Chinas most heavily indebted developers, with borrowings amounting to more than $100 billion by the end of 2020, according to its financial reports. Moodys and Fitch also both downgraded Evergrandes credit rating in June, citing its worsening financial conditions. Their priorities are different from those who are locally based., The broader general public is so used to zero cases, theyre happy, he added. But with the borders yet to fully reopen, it remains to be seen how much of the surging ultra-nationalism online will affect everyday actions and encounters. appreciated. According to a draft policy document released by Chinas Ministry of Culture and Tourism on September 19, tour groups organized by travel agencies in Chinas border areas will be able to choose their port of entry and exit flexibly.. In the face of intense criticism, the government has repeatedly defended its course of action. Beijing expelled at least 18 foreign correspondents last year, and few Western outlets have been granted visas for new journalists to be based in China, according to the Foreign Correspondents Club of China. Beijing has charged them with espionage, but most outside of China see their detention as retaliation for Mengs arrest and a bargaining chip to help leverage her release. For air travelers, the airlines are required to verify vaccine records and match them against ID, and if they don't, they could face fines of up to nearly $35,000 per violation. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice| Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information| Ad Choices Border reopening could bring back tourism deficits for them, dragging on GDP growth, according to Shu. Beyond that, specific details have not yet been spelled out. Chinese officials declined to explain. Hong Kong closed its borders to non-residents in early 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Now the the types of visas you can apply for include Z visa, M visa, Q visa, S visa, X visa, etc. Some foreign ministers have been admitted to China to meet their counterpart, Wang Yi, but only in provincial cities. In June, Hong Kong began loosening pandemic travel restrictions that, over the past 18 months, have transformed it from Asias World City to one of the most closed-off places on the planet. Still, one case was particularly concerning to authorities. Athletes' ambitions don't end when they leave the field of play. But even the largest such businesses struggle to obtain visas for the families of their expatriate staff. Churches that had members on both sides of the border are hoping to welcome parishioners they haven't seen during COVID-19 shutdown. After being closed for three years, China will reopen its borders on January 8, 2023, and will eliminate the mandatory quarantine requirement for entry into the country, according to reports from the South China Morning Post. Will, the China head of Asian Tigers, said that even though the relocation company's inbound business for foreigners decreased in 2021, its inbound business from Chinese returnees rose. could be sentient says Microsofts chatbot feels like watching the A cruise company is making a big play for remote workers to sail around the world for just $30,000 a year, CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice, Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information, Grocery prices continue to riseand theres. for insight on whats dominating business in Asia, delivered free to your inbox. All rights reserved. Its been four months since Kovrig and Spavor were tried behind closed doors and 953 days since they were detained, but Beijing has not released any news on either of the men. Finally, the west is doing its own reopening. For the newly qualified entrants, entry depends on having received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines at least 14 days prior to entry. On Sunday, Zhong Nanshan, one of Chinas top epidemiologists and government advisers, suggested that the country may begin to loosen its COVID-zero restrictions by the end of the year and learn to live with the virusa potential change in tack for a country that has not budged from its mission to eliminate every single case of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. However, the Omicron variant has proven challenging, and the government is still pursuing a zero Covid strategy. Surveys by the American and European chambers of commerce suggested the number of foreign residents in China had fallen by 30% in 18 months. For the newly qualified entrants . The five-yearly party congress in late 2022 is expected to confirm Xi Jinping as the countrys leader for at least another five years. Today (Saturday, 5 June 2021) the borders of China are fully open for 0/ 32 countries, partially open for 51/ 32 countries. China has reported 2.7 million cases and 15,133 deaths as of September 21, 2022. Last week, the Biden administration warned American companies about the risk of doing business in Hong Kong, citing Beijings increasing crackdown on the city. Theres the economic argument as well. China is in the opposite camp, along with South Korea and the Philippines. Sign up here. But this approach has sowed growing discontent among the public, particularly foreign nationals, who make up nearly 10% of the citys 7.5 million population. This is the first in a series about China's plans to reopen its borders amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Chinese officials grumble that America and the European Union have yet to approve a vaccine from China. Hong Kong people need to go to the mainland, said the citys leader, Carrie Lam, at a news conference on Tuesday. See how we collect data and find out why not all countries are included in the statistics. But hoping that mainland China will reopen its borders may ultimately leave Hong Kong effectively sealed off from the rest of the world for the foreseeable future. But Hong Kongs strict new rules may help stem Delta-driven outbreaks and bring the city closer to opening quarantine-free travel with mainland Chinathat is, if Chinas government ever chooses to accept travelers from Hong Kong. If they change their mind, that will be a sign that the party is finally ready to abandon its zero-covid policy. Moreover, China is in a better position than most countries to stay closed: its exports have barely been affected, and foreign direct investment is higher than it was before the pandemic. But Chinese officials and state media have also pushed the narrative that it is a further vindication of Beijings rise and the Wests decline. Copyright The Economist Newspaper Limited 2023. China won't open up after lockdown anytime soon 26 September 2021 Author: Nicholas Thomas, CityU What is normal in a post-pandemic world? This was followed by the citys Tuesday announcement that the vast majority of vaccinated residents returning to the city from the rest of the world should serve 14-day hotel quarantines before entering the city. hide caption. How can the idea of a return to a normal state of affairs be articulated and realised by a state? The Chinese government announced on May 31 it would allow married couples to have up to three children, instead of two. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much But Chinas continued reliance on COVID-zero protocols despite its high vaccination rate has raised questions about whether the measures will be a fixture of Chinese life for the long term. Starting Monday, the U.S. is accepting fully vaccinated travelers at airports and land borders, doing away with a COVID-19 restriction that dates back to the Trump administration. Will Chinas solitude come to an end? In the last year, I have hiked in five provinces, organised a week-long in-person meeting in a tropical botanical garden involving scientists from 20 academic institutions, and attended scores of live music and dance events, featuring maskless musicians playing to packed, maskless crowds. Fears among investors are growing over a debt crisis that has engulfed one of Chinas largest property developers. Jul 17th 2021 I T IS BECOMING clear that China will not, or perhaps cannot, re-open its borders soon. And Hong Kong has to be considered a safe place before the borders can reopen with China.. May 14, 2021, 2:57 AM UTC. IN JUNE 2021 one of Chinas most respected scientists tentatively suggested that the country might want to begin relaxing its zero-covid policy in 2022. For the most part, citizens and residents could enter the city after serving 14- to 21-day quarantines. About 90% of the adult population is fully vaccinated. Of course, international travel is important, international business is important to us but by comparison, the mainland is more important.. This week, it further clarified that the change although not yet legislated has already been effective since the announcement, amid confusion over its implementation.