Chinese State Media: "Several Countries Send Invitations to Chinese People"

Messages from 12 Countries Over Two Days Following the Announcement of Border Reopening

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Kim Hyunjung] As major countries such as the United States and Japan announced plans to strengthen quarantine measures for arrivals from China, China is paying attention to the 'welcome' messages posted by various countries' tourism offices. In fact, some countries appear to be sending friendly signals to attract large-scale group tourists from China.

According to local media such as the Chinese state-run Global Times and Jimu News on the 29th, after the Chinese government announced on the 27th that it would abolish quarantine guidelines for arrivals from overseas, 12 countries including France, Thailand, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand posted messages welcoming Chinese tourists on their embassies' and tourism offices' social media (SNS) over the following two days.

A welcoming message posted by the French Embassy in China on the Chinese social networking service (SNS) Weibo. (Source= Weibo)

The French Embassy in China said, "Chinese friends, France welcomes you with open arms," and the Thailand Tourism Authority stated, "Thailand has been waiting for you for three years." Thai media published articles saying, "With the easing of China's travel restrictions, Thailand will experience a windfall," and Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, Thailand's Minister of Finance, predicted that the number of foreign tourists next year would double from the current level due to the return of Chinese visitors.

Wang Wenbin, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also explained at a regular briefing the day before, "Several countries have expressed positive attitudes toward China's new people-to-people exchange measures and are looking forward to resuming exchanges with China."

There are also sharp reactions to some countries that have established strengthened quarantine measures such as mandatory COVID-19 testing and isolation of confirmed cases for arrivals from China. Spokesperson Wang said, "Claims by some Western media exaggerating that China's epidemic control has failed are exaggerations, slanders, and biased," adding, "Countries around the world go through an adaptation period when adjusting quarantine policies, and China's changes are no exception." Lu Xiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, emphasized to the Global Times, "Responding to the epidemic is a common goal of the whole world, and no country should be deliberately targeted." A Chinese medical expert who requested anonymity also pointed out, "Previously, they kept persuading China to reopen its borders, but now they are trying to criticize us."

Meanwhile, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced on the 28th (local time) that starting from the 5th of next month, all travelers entering the United States from China, Macau, and Hong Kong must submit a negative COVID-19 test result conducted within two days before boarding the plane. The CDC explained that this measure is to prevent the spread within the U.S. amid the Chinese government's failure to provide appropriate and transparent epidemiological information despite the spread of COVID-19. Previously, India, Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Italy had also mandated COVID-19 testing for travelers from China.

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