Travelers walk at Capital International Airport in Beijing on Jan 3, 2023. (PHOTO / REUTERS)
BEIJING – The Foreign Ministry urged the European Union on Friday to view China's pandemic response in an objective and fair manner, saying that it will take corresponding measures based on the principle of reciprocity in response to unreasonable measures taken by some countries toward travelers from China.
In responding to an EU statement on the coordination of travel measures in the light of COVID-19 developments in China, ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that the nation's COVID situation is predictable and under control, and its pandemic response measures are based on scientific assessment.
The EU issued the statement on Wednesday, laying out measures it recommends to its member states to take for international travelers coming from or destined for China.
The bloc encouraged its member states to require all travelers from China to provide a COVID-19 negative test taken not more than 48 hours prior to departure from China, and carry out random testing of travelers from China.
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"China has repeatedly stressed that for all countries, COVID response measures need to be science-based and proportionate," Mao said.
The EU should listen more to rational voices, and view China's COVID response situation in an objective and fair light.
Mao Ning, Spokesperson, Foreign Ministry, China
"They should not affect normal cross-border travel and people-to-people exchange and cooperation, there should not be discriminatory measures, and still less should measures be used for political manipulation."
She noted that many EU member states told China recently that they welcome tourists from China and will not impose any restrictive measures.
Professional institutions including the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control said clearly that restrictive measures targeting travelers from China are unjustified, she added.
"The EU should listen more to rational voices, and view China's COVID response situation in an objective and fair light," Mao said.
The spokeswoman reiterated that China has always shared information and data about COVID-19 with the world in an open and transparent manner.
China has had over 60 technical exchanges with the WHO over COVID-19 containment and other issues, and has kept sharing the virus' genome data through the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data, she said.
On Thursday, China dispatched experts to attend a briefing of the World Health Organization.
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At the briefing, the Chinese experts introduced China's pandemic prevention and control measures, as well as its monitoring of variants, vaccination and treatment, and interacted actively with other WHO member states, Mao said, adding China will strengthen cooperation with the international community, including the WHO.