Chinese Journalist Known for Outspoken Remarks Criticizes International Entry Restrictions as "Unwise... Will Only Cause Confusion"

Hoo Si-jin, Former Editor-in-Chief of Huanqiu Shibao
"Restrictions on Chinese Are a Form of Self-Comfort"
US, Japan, and Other Countries Strengthen Public Health Measures Against Chinese

As countries around the world, including the United States and Japan, strengthen quarantine measures for arrivals from China, voices of criticism are emerging within China. The reason is that such measures are deemed inappropriate given that the COVID-19 virus has already spread worldwide.

Passengers are passing in front of the COVID-19 Center at Incheon International Airport Terminal 1 as China plans to abolish facility quarantine for overseas arrivals starting from the 8th of next month.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

'Former Editor-in-Chief of Global Times' "Restrictions on travelers from China? Shifting responsibility"

Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of Global Times who has represented the Chinese authorities' stance, recently posted on Weibo, saying, "Several countries including Japan and India are conducting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests on Chinese arrivals and isolating those who test positive," adding, "while understandable, it is an unwise measure."

He continued, "After the COVID-19 pandemic began, many countries in the US and Europe restricted foreign arrivals, but ultimately failed to prevent large-scale infections."

Photo by Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of Global Times, Weibo.

He also said, "Since the virus has already spread globally, even if countries like Japan quarantine Chinese arrivals for seven days, it cannot prevent the introduction of COVID-19," and criticized, "Restrictions on travelers from China are a form of self-comfort and an attempt to shift responsibility if domestic COVID-19 outbreaks worsen."

Furthermore, he stated, "While such measures can be somewhat understood, they are meaningless and may only cause confusion in epidemic prevention and control strategies."

Chinese Traveling Abroad... Increased Searches for Korean and Japanese Tourist Destinations

Earlier, as China decided to lift its 'zero COVID' policy including facility quarantine for arrivals starting next month on the 8th, searches for overseas tourist destinations such as South Korea have surged within China.

According to the Chinese travel service platform 'Tongcheng,' recent searches for international flights increased 8.5 times, and visa searches increased 10 times. The most popular overseas tourist destinations reportedly included Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.

The Chinese online travel company 'Ctrip' also explained, "Searches for overseas travel during the Lunar New Year holiday from the 21st to the 27th of next month have increased," noting that Macau and Hong Kong ranked first and second in search volume. Following them were Japan, Thailand, South Korea, the United States, Singapore, Malaysia, Australia, and the United Kingdom.

Countries Locking Down Quarantine Measures Including the US and Japan

On the 29th, ahead of the year-end, Gimpo Airport is bustling with travelers. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As China decided to lift entry restrictions, countries such as the United States, Japan, and India have decided to strengthen regulations on arrivals from China.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires travelers arriving from China, Hong Kong, and Macau to submit a negative COVID-19 test result conducted within two days before boarding starting from the 5th of next month.

Japan mandates COVID-19 testing for arrivals from China and those who have visited China within the past seven days, and those who test positive are quarantined in designated facilities for one week. India and some regions of Italy have also decided to require COVID-19 testing for arrivals from China.

Meanwhile, on the morning of the 30th, the government will hold a meeting of the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters chaired by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo to announce quarantine measures in preparation for the domestic influx of COVID-19 from China. Strengthened measures under consideration include submitting a negative PCR test result within 48 hours before entry.

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