(ANSA) - BEIJING, JAN 10 - China has stopped issuing short-term visas to South Korean citizens in retaliation for the tightening of health checks on passengers arriving from the Dragon, considered "discriminatory" by Beijing.
This was stated in a note from the Chinese embassy in Seoul, according to which the measures decided "will be adjusted on the basis of the cancellation of the discriminatory restrictions on entry into South Korea against China".
In retaliation for the strengthening of health checks on passengers arriving from China, struggling with the worst wave of Covid-19 infections in three years of the pandemic, the Beijing embassy in Seoul has decided to block the issuance of short-term entry visas to South Korean citizens.
"The Chinese embassy and the consulates will suspend the issuance of short-term visas to South Korean citizens", reads a note posted on the WeChat account of the diplomatic mission, based on "instructions" received from Beijing.
The measure will hit "
Just yesterday, in the daily briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin had reiterated his promise on the adoption of "mutual countermeasures against some countries that have imposed discriminatory entry restrictions on travelers from China", urging the United States "to be transparent and open to sharing information and data on the Omicron XB variant currently prevalent in the US".
At the end of December, South Korea announced anti-Covid tests for all travelers from China, together with the temporary limitation of short-term visas to Chinese citizens, joining the group of countries that had introduced travel restrictions due to the wave of infections in the Dragon and the accusations of lack of transparency on the real health situation.
Travelers from China must provide a negative PCR swab within 48 hours of departure (the same one Beijing continues to require from arrivals) or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours, followed by a PCR after arrival.
(HANDLE).
