China suspends visa issuance to Japanese travelers, industry sources say

Article title is misleading:

Foreign residents of Japan can't get visas either, as they've outright stopped processing applications originating in Japan, no matter the applicant nationality.

Japan's covid case still high now is quarter millions of new cases, while Japan pointing China need to do PCR because China riskier.

https://japantoday.com/category/national/Japan-reports-245-542-new-coronavirus-cases

They're acting like the playground bully that got punched in the face and doesn't want to play anymore.

Good! Nobody needs to go to China!!!

I'm sure Japan and S Korea are now regretting their decision to monitor and control the influx of potentially dangerous travellers, from a zone where the government has consistently demonstrated mishandling of the covid situation.

Who’s signing up to visit China?

Dear Chinese government, there are no discriminatory entry restrictions against China. Full stop.

Good! Nobody needs to go to China!!!

This!!!

Who’s signing up to visit China?

Maybe a resident fanboy or two.

Beijing threatened to take countermeasures against countries that introduced tighter COVID-19 entry restrictions for travelers from China.

How about first taking countermeasures against the surge in COVID infections, China?

What did anyone expect?

No block on US visas.

No one wants to go to that covid hell-hole police state anyway.

Japan should retalliate by refusing to issue visas to Chinese nationals. That would certainly improve the manners in tourist areas in Japan to a great degree.

China "firmly opposes the discriminatory entry restrictions in disregard of scientific facts"

"Discrimination"... or hypocrisy?

China currently still requires all entrants from all countries to have a negative Covid test before entering. And this assumes you even get a visa, because they are essentially not giving them out to tourists yet anyway (its mainly just business, family, and student visas).

But why why why does no article regarding China's "re-opening" (and the "discrimination" people there supposedly have) ever mention this?

Chiichai!! LOL. China is indeed the bully on the playground, and acting like a 7-year old. You require a test for our team to visit you? Well, we'll just ban you from coming over to our house. So there.

China is one of the few major economies providing ZERO transparency on its covid stats. So China wants to have zero disclosure AND have its people spread Wuhan bat flu all around the world again. NO THANK YOU. Sorry for individual Chinese people who want to travel, but all you have to do is take a test.

Covid doesn’t know passports and is present in all countries, so targeting China is purely unscientific.

Childish China

@sakurasuki

Japan's covid case still high now is quarter millions of new cases, while Japan pointing China need to do PCR because China riskier.

Yes, but it isn't about covid per say it is about Variants. While China had it's zero tolerant policy it was dealing with older variants.. which are known to be far more dangerous than the omicron sub variants we are now on here and since we know how fast it can mutate... it could be an even more deadly variant.

Covid doesn’t know passports and is present in all countries, so targeting China is purely unscientific.

Sigh.

Do you actually read these stories? No country is targeting China. The testing rules have been put in place for travellers from China - of ALL nationalities.

Enough with the pathetic "it's racism!" "It's discrimination!" nonsense.

So for over two years, visitors to China not only also had to get tested, but then go into isolation in a hotel for two weeks at their own expense.

But now when other countries make Chinese get tested, all of a sudden it's "racist".

Got it. Thanks

How about first taking countermeasures against the surge in COVID infections, China?

They tried that and failed with their zero covid policy. So now they would rather export all their strains and variants on the world. They should have stopped their zero covid policy and kept their out going international flight restrictions for longer while they built up herd immunity. But we all know their government gives a rats behind about anything outside of themselves and their own preservation (Government). I personally feel very sorry for the Chinese people as a whole. They have had a very rough century!

And what did Japan and other countries expect? China not to retaliate?

Meanwhile in the US new variant XBB.1.5 rises and is of global concern. Spreads the quickest so far and avoids immunity, and severe illness could well increase since lineage is from original strain mixed with omicron.

Yet Japan and other countries are doing to counter it. You connect the dots

Doing nothing.

The Chinese regime as always is twisting the truth.

Japan and most western countries applies such restrictions not only to Chinese citizens but every person that come from China,and rightfully so.

We can’t trust them anymore.

China just being China. You could quite easily script this stuff. a 12 year old could actually. This is what happens when you are incapable of taking responsibility for your own mistakes and behavior. You project onto others and keep making things worse. The loop. From the culture that produced the Tao te Ching. not exactly a ying yang loop is it? Gross entitlement on display instead.

Facts: Over 50% of travelers from China test positive for covid on arrival. There's science behind the current testing of anyone coming from China.

It isn't like China doesn't require testing to enter their lands.

So, when China discriminates, that's ok, but when anyone else does the same with scientific facts, the Chinese govt calls is "discrimination." No surprise. The need a nap and diaper change, since nobody without a warped since of honesty or truth would even attempt to make these claims. Got lay down on your sleepy pad now. You'll feel better after your nap.

Time to stop Chinese from coming to Japan.

So for over two years, visitors to China not only also had to get tested, but then go into isolation in a hotel for two weeks at their own expense.

you obviously didn’t go to UK, Aussie, NZ, where children have severe development problems and many adults have depression, alcoholism and drug abuse. All countries had different reactions. China has one in six of the worlds population, but deaths are nothing compared to USA, Brazil etc.

Well, Chinese can still come even though they are getting tested before departure - means money goes out of China.

If China wants to retaliate, they should also require testing for incoming travellers. But what can we do with nincompoop CCP leading their country?

RADICAL, people should be able to travel in a two ways agreements, China is wrong on this one.

Now that's some chutzpah right there...

After making the rest of the world do the same thing to enter China, and now with this tirade, the Chinese government certainly has some balls; I'll give them that.

Remember China required anal testing of all foreigners up to the delta variant. It is a sick and barbarian leadership, just like most Chinese dynasties. Should cut all contacts with that country just to save ourselves.

Yes, we’ve got the measure of China now. Childishly ignorant.

Attempted blackmail to get Japan to back off so that JPN managers can travel to China to run the China-based Japanese supply chains.

First of all, Japan has every right to limit entry or require testing/quarantinning when necessary to safefguard public health.

Second, China getting uppity about a Covid test requirement when it previously required multiple tests pre-boarding and a mandatory 2 week quarrantine upon arrival is laughable.

Finally, instead of giving in, why don't we do them one better and relocate Japanese supply chains. There are other inexpensive countries with less government interference where we can outsource. Better yet, bring them back on-shore (staffing them would be an issue that would have to be addressed).

In short, pound sand, China.

Chinese people are so well mannered with the highest of ethics. Any measures to lower the influx of Chinese is detrimental to society.

The CCP government is Nouveau riche. So no one should feel surprised.

@Tony Sin

Beat me to it.

Maybe countries should stop tourists from Japan since the infection rate is the second highest in the world. Basically, you can walk right through immigration in many countries without a PCR test or vaccination certificate if you are coming from Japan.

China is right to take precautions against a country where the government has no cohesive Covid strategy, and where the infection and death rates are at all time highs.

because EVERYONE is dying to visit an ugly communist country. by the way, a month ago China was not letting its residents out of their own houses, now mad that Japan checks them closer before entering?

Maybe countries should stop tourists from Japan since the infection rate is the second highest in the world.

Does Japan have the 2nd highest infection rate, though? Right now, I'm not trusting the numbers from the US as well. It appears infected people aren't bothering to get tested, although maybe someone can chime in and elaborate on this. And countries like the UK, Italy, and Spain haven't given proper updates in weeks.

Transparency is important. This applies not only to China but to other nations, too.

I do not see anything wrong with this decision. It means people are less likely to bring the next COVID-19 strain from China back to Japan. Now if Japan and other countries restrict fewer travelers from China until they get their pandemic under control then we will all be better off.

Fanboy says

China is right to take precautions against a country where the government has no cohesive Covid strategy, and where the infection and death rates are at all time highs.

Lol. Anal swab test anyone?

CCP is such a childish and the most hypocrite government there has ever been.

We should play their game too. Tit for tat. Block anyone originating from China, from entering Japan, Korea, USA and everywhere else.

Grow up China, so childish.

Take about stabbing yourself in the eye to show the world? What. ??? Look dumbies (CCP) you need us ( the West ) way more than we need your money. You need food and energy and you go around acting like this.

@Garthgoyle

> CCP is such a childish and the most hypocrite government there has ever been.

Agreed. 100%

We should play their game too.

Uh... You don't see how this is a weird statement?

Okay, the solution to China's toddler tantrum is rather simple. Give them a 'time out' by suspending all air travel to/from China.

They want to act like a toddler and misbehave... Well, they can be treated as such till they learn how to grow up and behave like a mature nation.

Cue a tiny violin for China. China has not allowed anyone in their country for 3 years unless you are a Chinese citizen and then went through weeks of quarantine at your expense including an anal swab during entry. Now they are going to punish other countries from trying to protect themselves? You cannot make this stuff up.

I think the CCP has punished the world enough with its' global spread of COVID-19. Time for them to PAY UP!

Chinese COVID cases expected to peak at 3.7 million a day by Jan. 13, with daily deaths reaching 25,000: health-data company forecast

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/chinese-covid-cases-expected-to-peak-at-3-7-a-day-by-jan-13-with-daily-deaths-reaching-25-000-health-data-company-forecast-11673375259?siteid=yhoof2

The company is expecting Chinese fatalities to rise about 10 days after that to about 25,000 a day, bumping the total since a surge of cases started in December to 584,000. Airfinity is forecasting 1.7 million COVID deaths across China by the end of April.

China please do everyone a favor and stay home until you get your house in order.

Your whining like a lot of your policies are hypocritical!

Wolf warrior politics on full display. I condemn the move. It's an unfortunate development - as China continues to isolate itself further geopolitically and economically, the region will become less stable, and the risk of war increases. They need to calm down and work on "living with Covid" - lockdowns and travel bans will never work. I don't care what anyone says, mRNA vaccines are not going to do the trick either. As was the case with the US and India in 2020-2021, Covid will ravage you eventually regardless of what you do or what measures you take, and you just need to let it run its course. By "flattening the curve", you are effectively making it longer and more painful.

Japan is not banning travelers from China, only requiring a negative Covid test result. Not really political considering it’s expected nearly 70% of China’s population has become infected in the last month.

China is banning anyone coming from Japan, regardless of Covid test. Japan is erring on the side of safety. China, as usual, is only thinking about politics.

 nearly 70% of China’s population has become infected in the last month.

This true?

nearly 70% of China’s population has become infected in the last month.

This true?

it could be higher. Some provinces have reported 90% infections.

Well done China! All that time to prepare for nothing.

@Wolfshine

Bingo.

This is really rich given that China itself still requires negative tests from everyone trying to enter their country....

China always good for a joke, after they gave us the virus with a high probability, treated all foreigner that worked in China on their entry like leopards they get angry like a little brat when we now request a pcr test lol you couldn’t make this up

Zero covid policy is given up with more than 100+ millions of infections in December at the same time suddenly China opened all ports to international travels? Why? No official reports of infection to WHO hiding the facts and numbers of death people.

New variant outside Omicron might also face new risks due to the explosion of infected population in China, no need to say mRNA is not effective to prevent infections but can lower critical/deaths in certain degree although new mutations threat efficacy of western vaccines. But need more transparency overall to fight the outbreak that is not fully controlled ...

China always good for a joke, after they gave us the virus with a high probability, treated all foreigners that worked in China on their entry like lepers they get angry like a little brat when we now request a pcr test lol you couldn’t make this up

It's sad that they're doing this solely out of reciprocity, and nations like Japan should have known it was coming. Had they done it because travelers from Japan pose a threat (with the massive increase in Covid due to loosened restrictions), then it would be as Japan did to them and no one could objectively complain.

Japan makes its rules, China makes its own. Easy to accept.

US citizens already had to apply and pay for a visa to China, not sure about Japanese nationals but whatever the case may be, do people really desire to travel there at this point in time…?

I understand the situation here in Japan isn’t pretty at all but at least they have numbers reported whether they’re accurate to the dots or not. China’s reported situation is … the bare minimum to say the least.

Cry babies. Both Koreans and Japanese don’t care about restrictions against traveling To China, but a lot are concerned about THEM coming here. What’s wrong with a lot of them roaming around without mask and talking like maniacs inside the restaurants?

Both Koreans and Japanese don’t care about restrictions against traveling To China

Is that why Japan is protesting?

Anyway it's not just restrictions it was suspension of visa

China makes its own.

Fiddle the stats and tell porky pies, you get sanctioned. Easy to accept and a pretty obvious outcome.

China is throwing it's toys out of the pram to deflect it screwing the pooch for 3 years. Predictable and good tv fodder for the lunar New Year. Stops people thinking about the protests, like Painkiller who predicted they'd go nowhere... (whoops)

I don't what the Covid situation in South Korea is but the per-capita, it's almost certainly much worse in Japan than in China. And almost certainly worse still in USA and the EU where they have decided to no longer share the info on the number of infections and deaths.

@ Ian

Suspension of visa in itself is a restriction.

Sure

@sven

You should check more carefully what’s going down in China right now, I think you would reconsider your statement.

It has spread like wildfire there in the last month. The population has almost no immunity and many elderly were far off from their vaccines, most notably even getting boosters.

No exaggeration, but 90% of my companies team in China was infected in the last month. It’s the worst place on the world to be for Covid right now.

Time to stop Chinese from coming to Japan.

And anywhere else.

@factchecker

Right on.

factchecker: "And anywhere else."

Yup, and as much as it will anger people to hear it, that includes stopping people coming from Japan -- where the rate is about 200,000 a day and growing (and that's only the reported!). I'm not sure everywhere needs to slam the gates shut again, but there is no harm in demanding tests before coming, and/or tests upon arrival and quarantining the infected.

They bullied Thailand into changing the requirements.

Nobody needs to visit China or do business with them.

rest of world already started process of moving their factories out.

China’s not a safe place to visit anyway, so it’s best not to go near there.

This is hypocrisy at its worst. China still requires a negative PCR test for those entering the country. But no, how dare any other country impose such measures...

Hey China, your zero covid policy was a complete failure. All you've done is create an even bigger problem. We don't need a repeat of three years ago.

Unless the trip to China is to conduct existing business, now is not the time to go. COVID is still rampant and the risk of getting an infection is high. Also, if you are elderly or have a pre-existing condition, you may be risking hospitalization or your life.