Conducting Covid-19 tests, which several countries have made mandatory for Chinese immigrants, is unacceptable and Beijing can take countermeasures, writes Politico.
Chinese Foreign Ministry Press Secretary Mao Ning said at a press conference on the 3rd of January, that to make restrictions that only affect Chinese travelers is unacceptable. She added that Beijing can take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity.
Ning’s remarks were met with rejection in Europe. French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said she saw nothing wrong with France’s testing strategy:
«My government is within its role, by protecting French people and asking for tests.»
Last week, France was one of the countries to introduce mandatory Covid-19 tests for arrivals from China, after Beijing scrapped its «zero covid» policy. Such actions by China make other countries worried about a possible uncontrolled return of the virus.
One point of the conditions is a negative test result no more than two days before boarding the plane or a mandatory test upon arrival at the destination. In France, in case of a positive test, the virus will also be sequenced, to make sure that no new variants of the virus come to France.
The different reactions of the countries of the European Union to the new wave of Covid-19 in China have created tension among the countries of the bloc. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni called on the countries to adopt a unified position, however, after a meeting with the European Union’s Health Safety Committee, it was decided that the member states can decide on the necessary measures themselves.
Read also: A new wave of Covid-19 is straining China’s hospitals and funeral homes