Chinese officials said Tuesday that the country will resume issuing passports and visas in another large step toward winding down the country's "zero COVID" policy.
The move could potentially mean a massive wave of Chinese tourists will go abroad for the first time in more than a year, especially ahead of the upcoming Chinese New Year in January, which The Associated Press noted is normally the country's biggest traveling season.
This marks a rapid change in the government's handling of overseas travel, as China has largely isolated itself from the rest of the world since the pandemic's outbreak. Bloomberg reported that China had not been issuing new passports to its citizens since August 2021, except in the case of emergencies.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In addition to the re-issuance of passports, officials said they will also resume travel visas to Hong Kong for people living on the Chinese mainland, something that has not happened since nearly the start of the pandemic.
The country said it will also gradually begin admitting foreign visitors, though no timetable for this was given.
Bloomberg also noted that the passport announcement came just one day after China officially downgraded its COVID management status from the highest to the second-highest ranking.
However, concerns are rising, particularly among other Asian nations in the vicinity of China, that the re-engaging of tourism could cause the disease to spread, especially as China continues to battle a massive wave of new infections.
Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Japan have all issued decrees requiring COVID tests for any visitors from China.
-
August 30 editorial cartoonsCartoons Saturday’s political cartoons include Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Donald Trump's role reversal and King George III
-
5 bullseye cartoons about the reasons for mass shootingsCartoons Artists take on gun worship, a price paid, and more
-
Lisa Cook and Trump's battle for control the US FedTalking Point The president's attempts to fire one of the Federal Reserve's seven governor is represents 'a stunning escalation' of his attacks on the US central bank
-
Despairing husband creates 'Taylor Swift jar'Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Urine video dents Chinese beer brandTall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
‘Irony’ as Zoom calls staff back to officefeature And other stories from the stranger side of life
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
