EU, Beijing heading for collision over China’s Covid crisis

The European Union and China yesterday [Macau time] moved closer to a political standoff over the COVID-19 crisis, with Beijing vehemently rejecting travel restrictions some EU nations have started to impose that could be expanded in coming days.

An EU offer of help, including vaccine donations, was also as good as slapped down, with Beijing insisting the situation was “under control” and medical provisions “in adequate supply,” government spokesperson Mao Ning said.

And as the 27-nation bloc moved closer to imposing some sort of restrictions on travelers from China, Beijing threatened countermeasures.

“We are firmly opposed to attempts to manipulate the COVID measures for political purposes and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity,” Mao said.

Still, the EU seemed bent on taking some sort of joint action to ensure incoming passengers from China would not transmit any potential new variants to the continent.

A special EU health security committee joining representatives from the EU member nations discussed potential measures, and EU spokesman Tim McPhie said that “the overwhelming majority of countries are in favor of pre-departure testing” in China.

Sweden, which holds the EU presidency, also said in a statement that “travelers from China need to be prepared for decisions being taken at short notice.”

Fearful of being caught unawares like at the outset of the global pandemic in early 2020, the EU Integrated Political Crisis Response group is now set on Wednesday to decide whether to impose EU-wide entry requirements from China.

Several member nations announced individual efforts over the past week. At the same time, the EU’s European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control insisted that the situation in China didn’t pose an immediate overall health threat.

“The variants circulating in China are already circulating in the EU, and as such are not challenging for the immune response” of EU citizens, it said in its latest impact study published this week. Other scientists have also said limits on travel would have little impact on containing the disease, but they also insisted on the value of looking for potential variants not in Europe at the moment.

Over the past week, EU nations reacted in a chaotic cascade of national measures to the crisis in China, disregarding an earlier commitment to act in unity before anything else.

Italy was the first EU member in requiring coronavirus tests for airline passengers coming from China, but several others have said such measures might not be the best option to protect local populations since new variants now coming from China have already been around in Europe, often for many months.

France, Spain and Italy have already announced independent measures to implement tougher COVID-19 rules for passengers arriving from China.

France’s government is requiring negative tests, and is urging French citizens to avoid nonessential travel to China. France is also reintroducing mask requirements on flights from China to France.

Spain’s government said it would require all air passengers coming from China to have negative tests or proof of vaccination.

The United States has announced new testing requirements for all travelers from China, joining some Asian nations that had imposed restrictions because of a surge of infections.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that “there’s no cause for retaliation” by Beijing for countries “taking prudent health measures to protect their citizens” with COVID related travel restrictions on travelers coming from China. She said restrictions were “based on public health and science.”  RAF CASERT, BRUSSELS, MDT/AP

Chinese runaway on wanted list inS.Korea after fleeing Covid isolation

Police have put a Chinese national on a wanted list as he ran away after refusing to be isolated even though he tested positive for COVID-19 upon his arrival to South Korea, The Korea Herald reported yesterday.

According to the Incheon Metropolitan Police and disease control authorities, the 41-year-old was tested under the new COVID-19 mandate applied to travelers from China on Tuesday, and was confirmed to have the virus later in the evening. He was sent to a hotel in Yeongjongdo near Incheon International Airport but fled while waiting to be assigned a room, according to authorities.

According to the Korean newspaper, the police found via security camera footage that the man had visited a supermarket 300 meters away from the hotel but have not been able to track his whereabouts since. While putting him on the waiting list, the police said it would start a probe if the disease control agency files a complaint against him for violating COVID-19 rules.

“If arrested, he will face up to one year in prison or a fine of up to 10 million won ($7,846),” an official said. “He will receive a departure order and will be restricted from entering Korea for certain period.”

They also said that the significant percentage of COVID-19 overseas inflow came from China, citing data.

“Of the 460 confirmed cases of overseas inflow last week, 142 people – about 31 percent – was from China,” said Health Minister Cho Kyu-hong yesterday.

The government has been implementing strengthened COVID controls to entrants from China since Monday, including short-term visa restrictions and testing before and after entry, to prevent the influx of confirmed patients from China, where COVID-19 has recently surged. From Saturday, arrivals from Hong Kong and Macau will also be subjected to toughened measures. MDT/The Korea Herald