China retaliates against S Korea with fresh visa ban

BEIJING - In what appears to be a counter move, Chinese authorities have stopped issuing short-term visas to South Korean citizens as well as Japanese in the backdrop of Covid restrictions imposed by the countries against China.

The barring of visas is the first first retaliation against Covid entry restrictions on passengers from China and is destined to dent a blow to the ties between the countries.

“Visas for business, tourism, medical treatment, transit and general private affairs will be suspended for South Korean citizens effective today,” the Chinese Embassy in Seoul said in a statement.

What gives credence to the fact that the move is a tit for is that the embassy has stated that the measures will be 'adjusted' if South Korea cancels its 'discriminatory' entry restrictions on China.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin also confirmed taken retaliatory steps against those imposing restrictions on the country. 

"We firmly oppose discriminatory entry restrictions against China by a few countries, and we will take reciprocal measures," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters on Tuesday in a briefing.

The move comes a week after South Korea suspended short-term visa applications from its consulates in China until the end of the ongoing month. Seoul also required people traveling from China to take a PCR test within 24 hours of arrival and remain in isolation until receiving negative results.

Moreover, from January 5, South Korea had also asked people traveling from China to present a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of departure or a rapid antigen test taken within 24 hours. On the other hand, Japan is currently permitting Chinese visitors to enter the country, provided they test negative for Covid.

"Our government's public health measures for those coming from China are actions based on scientific and objective evidence," South Korea's foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said at a briefing on Tuesday.

Beijing dropped its harsh Covid controls last month, inviting criticism from the global community at a time when there was a surge in infections. Countries like the US, Italy and even India announced that it would test the passengers coming from China. Beijing also opened up to the international community on January 8th, three years after the Covid-19 sent shockwaves across the world and brought the aviation industry to a standstill.