China Proposes 'Vaccine Passport'... Long Way to Go Before International Acceptance (Comprehensive)

'International Travel Health Certificate' Containing Vaccination Information and Test Results

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] China has introduced a COVID-19 vaccination certificate called the 'vaccine passport.' China expects the vaccine passport to serve as a cornerstone for the resumption of international travel, but experts point out that there will be many challenges before an internationally accepted vaccine passport can be implemented.

According to Global Times on the 9th, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the day before that the Chinese version of the vaccine passport, called the 'International Travel Health Certificate,' has been launched as a WeChat mini program.

Earlier, Wang Yi, State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of foreign affairs, stated at the press conference of the National People's Congress (NPC) annual session on the 7th that China would release an electronic document of the Chinese version of the International Travel Health Certificate. Minister Wang said, "China is willing to discuss mutual recognition of COVID-19 vaccination with other countries," adding, "We will realize mutual recognition of nucleic acid testing and vaccination information to support safe and orderly human movement."

China's International Travel Health Certificate, named the international version of the epidemic prevention health code, includes COVID-19 vaccination history along with nucleic acid test and serological antibody test results. Vaccination information contains the manufacturer, vaccine type, and vaccination dates. It includes an encrypted QR code and can be printed on paper as well as used in digital form.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed hope that "in the near future, as more countries agree to mutual recognition of health certificates with China, China's International Travel Health Certificate will play a significant role in promoting healthy, safe, and orderly human movement between countries."

On the same day, Irit Ben-Abba Vitale, the newly appointed Israeli ambassador to China, expressed her hope that Israel would become the first country to mutually recognize vaccine passports with China. In an interview with Global Times, Ambassador Vitale said, "Mutual recognition of vaccine passports is the top priority," adding, "We expect this issue to be resolved within the next few weeks."

However, there are concerns that many obstacles remain before an internationally accepted vaccine passport can be introduced to resume international travel. Gao Fu, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said, "Mutual recognition of vaccination between countries is a complex issue." Experts also believe that lengthy negotiations will be necessary for mutual recognition of vaccine efficacy.

Considering these issues, some Chinese experts have suggested that, in the initial stage, it would be practical to introduce a mutual recognition mechanism between mainland China and Hong Kong and Macau first.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.