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Traveling to China After Reopening – What’s Changed?

We offer the latest advice on traveling to China in 2023, including information on current Chinese visa application requirements, pre-flight testing, and travel tips.

UPDATE (November 1, 2023): China Customs announced that it will no longer require people leaving and entering China to fill in the Entry/Exit Health Declaration Card. This decision means that from this day forward, there are no more  COVID-era restrictions and requirements for travelers leaving and entering the country. However, anyone leaving or entering China who shows symptoms of or who has been diagnosed with an infectious disease is still required to declare their health status to Customs of their own volition. See our article for more details on this news here .

UPDATE (September 20, 2023): In a bid to attract more international visitors, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) introduced a simplified visa application process on September 20, 2023. This revision primarily focuses on the visa application form and entails two significant changes. Firstly, applicants are now required to list their travel history from the past year instead of the previous five years. Secondly, the educational background section has been streamlined to only request the highest level of education achieved.

These adjustments, according to MFA spokesperson Mao Ning, are intended to reduce the time applicants spend on visa forms and enhance overall efficiency. The MFA reaffirmed its dedication to fostering people-to-people interactions between China and other countries, emphasizing China’s commitment to high-quality development and global engagement.

UPDATE (August 28, 2023):  The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made a significant declaration that starting from August 30, 2023, travelers heading to China will not have to undergo mandatory pre-entry COVID-19 nucleic acid tests or antigen tests.

In March 2023, China announced that it had resumed issuing all types of visas , giving the official greenlight for foreign travelers and tourists to return to the country. This announcement followed months of gradual dismantling of COVID-19 travel restrictions, which saw the lifting of quarantines, vaccine and testing requirements, and travel codes.  

Domestic and international travel requirements have since been further relaxed so that there are currently almost no additional steps to take in relation to COVID-19 in order to travel to China.  

However, foreign travelers may still be confused when planning for their China trip, as it adopted a progressive approach for lifting restrictions, and the latest information is scattered across a series of announcements. Below we answer some common questions on China travel after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.

Which Chinese visas are currently available?  

China resumed issuing all types of visas in March 2023. All of the same types of visas that were available prior to the pandemic are now available for application again.  

The visas that are currently available to travel to China are listed in the table below.  

Note that if you obtain a long-term visa, such as a work or student visa, you are required to convert the visa into a residence permit within a prescribed period of time, usually 30 days.

Is my 10 – year C hinese visa still valid?  

All multiple entry visas that were issued before March 28, 2020, that are still within the validity date can now be used to travel to China again . This includes 10-year visitor visas issued to citizens of the US and other countries. Note that you are usually only able to stay in China for a period of up to 60 days on this type of visa, and you will need to apply for another long-stay visa if you wish to stay longer than 60 days. 

I f the visa has expired since March 28, 2020 , you will be required to apply for a new visa before you can travel to China.  

How do I apply for a Chinese tourist visa in 2023?  

In most cases, foreigners must apply for a visa in order to travel to China. This is done through your nearest Chinese Visa Application Service Center, not the consulate or embassy. You must either be a citizen or have residency or another right to stay (such as a visa) in the country in which you are applying for the Chinese visa.

The requirements to apply for a visa vary depending on the type of visa you are applying for and the location in which you apply for it. It is therefore important to check the website of your local Chinese Visa Application Service Center for application requirements.  

Note that the duration of short-stay visas, such as tourism or business visas, can also vary depending on your specific situation, where you apply, and your nationality.  

China does offer some visa-free options for short-term travel. These include 144-hour , 72-hour, and 24-hour visa-free transit, which allows foreign travelers to enter China through designated ports and travel around a limited area for up to six days, provided they are continuing on to a third country after departing the country.  

At the end of November 2023, China also announced a 15-day visa-free entry policy for holders of ordinary passports from France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and Malaysia, during the period from December 1, 2023, to November 30, 2024.

For more information on visa-free travel to China, see our Complete Guide to China’s Visa-Free Policies .  

What are the COVID-19 testing requirements to travel to China?  

There are no longer any COVID-19 testing requirements to enter or leave China. Starting from August 30, 2023, travelers bound for China were no longer required to undergo COVID-19 nucleic acid tests or antigen tests before their departure. In addition, from November 1, 2023, onward, China Customs ceased requiring travelers to fill in and show the Entry/Exit Health Declaration Card , removing the last COVID-era travel requirement.

In its announcement scrapping the health declaration card requirement, China Customs emphasized that people leaving and entering China who show symptoms of or who have been diagnosed with an infectious disease are still required to declare their health situation to Customs of their own volition. Symptoms may include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, or unexplained subcutaneous bleeding, according to the notice. This has been a requirement since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you report any symptoms, you may be taken aside for additional testing. If you test positive for COVID-19, you will be permitted to recover in your place of stay or seek medical help if required.

It’s important to stay updated with any further announcements or changes that may arise, as travel guidelines and policies can evolve in response to the ongoing global situation. Travelers are advised to refer to official sources such as the Chinese government’s official websites and diplomatic channels for the most accurate and up-to-date information before planning their trips to China.

Are there any restrictions on traveling within China?  

China has removed all domestic travel restrictions, meaning that people are now free to cross provincial and regional borders without having to show negative COVID-19 tests or health codes.  

Note that if you enter China on one of the short-term transit entry permits, you are not permitted to travel outside a certain designated area, which will depend on your port of entry. For information on where you can travel on this entry permit, see our article here .  

Do I need to take any COVID-19 precautions while traveling in China?  

COVID-19 is still present in China, and it is therefore advisable to take common sense prevention measures when traveling around the country. These precautions are the same as the ones you would take in other countries and include regularly washing your hands or using hand sanitizer, wearing a mask in public, and avoiding crowded areas where possible, among others.  

Mask mandates on public transport and in public areas, such as restaurants, bars, stores, malls, and parks, have been removed. However, the government still advises people to wear them of their own volition.  

Wearing a mask is still mandatory in nursing homes and medical institutions. You should also wear a mask if you test positive for COVID-19.  

What happens if I test positive for COVID-19 while in China?  

You are no longer required to go to a quarantine facility if you test positive for COVID-19.

The current official advice in China if you test positive for COVID-19 is to self-isolate at home if you are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. If you have moderate to severe symptoms, you should seek medical help, and you may be hospitalized if your condition is serious.    

It is advisable to purchase medical insurance before traveling to China, as staff in public health institutions may only speak Chinese and private healthcare is very expensive.  

It is also advisable to bring fever medicine, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, as you may not be able to buy the same brands you are used to taking in your home country, and staff at pharmacies usually only speak Chinese.  

(This article was originally published on June 9, 2023 , and was last updated on November 29 , 2023.)

China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates . The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done so since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at [email protected] .

Dezan Shira & Associates has offices in Vietnam , Indonesia , Singapore , United States , Germany , Italy , India , Dubai (UAE) , and Russia , in addition to our trade research facilities along the Belt & Road Initiative . We also have partner firms assisting foreign investors in The Philippines , Malaysia , Thailand , Bangladesh .

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As China reopens for travel, here's everything you need to know

Hotel quarantine requirements are being scrapped from sunday.

Passengers arrive at Hankou railway station on the first day of peak travel ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday in Wuhan, Hubei province. AFP

After three years, China is finally reopening for travel , but as the country experiences its first national wave of Covid-19 cases , what does that mean for travellers going into and flying out of the country?

What is changing in China on January 8?

As it scraps its zero-Covid policy , which has led to the rise in cases, Chinese authorities are lifting several major Covid-related entry restrictions as of Sunday and this includes quarantine requirements for international arrivals.

Before now, foreign travellers needed to quarantine for five days in a hotel and self-isolate three days at home.

Now, anyone heading to China needs to take a nucleic acid test 48 hours before departure and people with negative results no longer have to apply for a green health code from embassies and consulates before entering the country.

Visitors do still need to fill in a customs health declaration form, however, and positive cases cannot travel to China until they're testing negative again.

Can international travellers now fly to China?

Not quite. Borders remain mostly closed to foreign travellers for leisure reasons for now, but an easing of restrictions has been announced, with no clear timeline. For example, the country needs to start issuing tourism visas again and while that's part of the reopening plan, no date has been set for it.

For now, the focus is on visa applications for foreign nationals travelling to the country for business, family reasons, employment and reunions.

This includes Chinese nationals studying or working abroad, who may not have been able to travel home for nearly three years due to the costs of flight tickets or hotel quarantines.

Can people fly out of China?

Yes, the rule that stopped Chinese citizens from going overseas for "non-essential" reasons has also been lifted, allowing international travel for leisure again. Getting back into the country has become much easier, too.

According to global travel service provider Trip.com Group, mainland China's outbound flight bookings on the morning of December 27 — the day after the easing of travel restrictions from January 8 was announced — increased by 254 per cent, when compared to the previous day.

In particular, searches for flights to Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan and Thailand led the surge.

China's Ministry of Transport said on Friday that it expects more than two billion passengers to take trips over the next 40 days.

However, as Covid-19 cases soar in the country, international governments have placed restrictions on travellers coming from China.

Qatar, for example, announced it would require people arriving from China to provide a negative Covid-19 result from a test taken within 48 hours of departure, with the measures in place from last Tuesday.

The US, Canada, Australia and the UK imposed PCR testing requirements on any travellers from mainland China from Thursday.

A notice for travellers arriving from China to undergo mandatory Covid tests at Caselle airport, in Turin, Italy. EPA

Morocco took this one step further by banning all travellers arriving from China, “to avoid a new wave of contaminations in Morocco and all its consequences”, said the foreign ministry.

But the International Air Transport Association called these "knee-jerk reactions".

“Several countries are introducing Covid-19 testing and other measures for travellers from China, even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders," said Willie Walsh, director general of IATA. "It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years.

"Research undertaken around the arrival of the Omicron variant concluded that putting barriers in the way of travel made no difference to the peak spread of infections. At most, restrictions delayed that peak by a few days. If a new variant emerges in any part of the world, the same situation would be expected.

"That’s why governments should listen to the advice of experts, including the World Health Organisation, that advise against travel restrictions."

What about domestic travel?

While domestic travel within China has been largely allowed throughout the pandemic, its popularity has had peaks and troughs, particularly as movement was restricted thanks to digital health codes. But these are no longer in place.

Chinese travel agencies are reporting spikes in bookings and searches to various destinations, including Beijing, particularly around the Lunar New Year public holiday, which runs from January 21 to 27.

Major attractions across the country, including museums and theme parks, are now welcoming visitors as normal.

What Covid restrictions remain in China?

China scrapped its zero-Covid policy, which it has had in place since the beginning of the pandemic, in December, following public protests.

This included mass testing, home quarantine for people with Covid-19 and sporadic lockdowns.

Currently, there are no government mandates for face mask-wearing and social distancing, although it's strongly encouraged in indoor places and on public transport, where mobile health QR codes are also still required.

China Travel Restrictions & Travel Advisory (Updated March 7, 2024)

Updates March 7th, 2024 : Travelers from the following countries could enjoy visa-free entry to China for tourism, business, transit, or visiting friends and relatives. 

• From December 1st, 2023, to November 30th, 2024: France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and Spain.
• From March 14th to November 30th, 2024: Austria, Belgium, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, and Switzerland.
• Singapore, Brunei
• Malaysia (from December 1st, 2023 to November 30th, 2024)

If you want to arrange a private tour, even tentatively, simply contact us . 

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• What Ways to Enter China
• Do I Still Need a PCR Test to Enter China
• Hong Kong/Macau Travel Restriction

International Flights to China

What to expect when traveling in china, best times to travel to china, 8 ways to enter china: all open now.

Since China has fully permitted visa applications, there are now several ways to enter the country.

If you still hold a valid Chinese visa (any type including a tourist visa, 10-year visa, etc.), you can use it to enter China.

If you don't have a Chinese visa or your visa has expired, you can apply for a new one. All visas can now be applied for, including tourist visas, business visas, work visas, and so on. (International visitors can apply for a tourist visa to the Chinese Mainland in Hong Kong.)

For the documents required for a visa application, you can refer to the information given by a Chinese embassy/consulate . Please submit your application at least two months in advance.

To apply for a tourist visa (L visa), you will be asked to provide an invitation letter issued by a Chinese travel agency or individual or round-trip air tickets and hotel bookings.

When booking a private tour with us, we can provide you with an invitation letter, which is one more thing we do to make your travel more convenient, giving you more flexibility with your air tickets and hotel bookings.

Now it is very easy to apply for a visa . You can easily apply by yourself without an intermediary. The following is how one of our clients successfully applied for a Chinese tourist visa:

• First, fill out the form at the China Online Visa Application website ;
• Second, make an appointment on this website to submit your visa materials on Appointment for Visa Application Submission website ;
• Third, take the required documents to the embassy to submit;
• Finally, you will get a return receipt if your documents are qualified.

Usually, you will get your visa after 7 working days. The application fee is about USD185 for US citizens.

Q: What if my passport expires but my visa doesn't?

A: You can travel to China on the expired passport containing valid Chinese visa in combination with the new passport, provided that the identity information (name, date of birth, gender, nationality) on both passport identical.

If there is a change to any of the above details, you must apply for a new visa.

2. 144-Hour Visa-Free Transit Policy

If you do not apply for a Chinese visa, you may still have the opportunity to visit these areas of China visa free: the Shanghai area (including Suzhou, Hangzhou, etc.), the Beijing area (with Tianjin and Hebei), the Guangzhou area (Shenzhen, Zhuhai, etc.), and more. Take advantage of the 6-day visa-free entitlements.

Find out if you could use the 144-hour visa-free transit policy with our information on China's 144-hour Visa-Free Policy (Eligible Entry/Exit Ports, Applicable Countries, Documents to be Prepared...)

You can also obtain entry and exit control policies through the 24-hour hotline of the National Immigration Administration:

• Beijing: 0086 (+86)-10-12367
• Shanghai: 0086 (+86)-21-12367
• Guangzhou: 0086 (+86)-20-12367

Quick Test: Will My Route Qualify for China 72/144-Hour Visa-Free Transit?

1. I will depart from (only applies to direct or connected flight):

2. I will arrive in China at [city], [airport / railway station / port].

3. My arrival date is...

4. I will leave for [country/region] from China (the bounding destination on the air ticket):

5. My departure date is...

6. My nationality is...

8. I have Chinese visa refusal stamps in my passport.

You qualify to enjoy China's 72-hour visa-free policy.

You qualify to enjoy China's 144-hour visa-free policy.

You don't qualify to enjoy China's 72-hour or 144-hour visa-free policy.

Reason you don't qualify:

• You must be in transit to a third country or region.
• You must leave the city area (prefecture or municipality) after the 72/144 hours (the 72/144-hour limit is calculated starting from 00:00 on the day after arrival, i.e. 24:00 on the arrival date).
• Your passport must be valid for more than 3 months at the time of entry into China.
• Your passport nationality is not eligible for the 72/144-hour visa exemption program.
• You have Chinese visa refusal stamps in your passport.

3. Port Visas (Landing Visas)

If you don't have time to get a visa, or if you find it cumbersome to apply for a tourist visa, you could consider traveling to China through a port visa.

Port visas can be applied for a group at least including 2 people. You need to enter the country within 15 days after you get your entry permit. The port visa allows a stay period of 1 to 2 months.

Applicable ports include Beijing, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Guilin, Xi'an, Chengdu, etc.

Note: Tourists from America are not granted a port visa in Shanghai.

Book your China trip with us and we can help you apply for a port visa.

4. Visa Exemption for ASEAN Tour Groups to Guilin

In addition, tour groups from ASEAN member countries, including Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei, and the Philippines, can visit Guilin for 144 hours without visas as long as they meet the visa-free transit policy requirements.

5. Shanghai Visa-Free Policy for Cruise Groups

Shanghai has a 15-day visa-free policy for foreign tourist groups entering China via a cruise. You must arrive and depart on the same cruise and be received by a Chinese travel agent at the Shanghai Cruise Terminal (or Wusong Passenger Center).

6. Hainan Visa-Free Access

No visa is required for staying on Hainan Island for up to 30 days for ordinary passport holders from 59 countries. Groups and individual tourists must book a tour through an accredited travel agency.

Find out whether you qualify for the policy here .

7. Visa Exemption for the Pearl River Delta Area

International travelers from Hong Kong or Macau are able to visit the Pearl River Delta area (Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, etc.) visa-free as long as they go with a registered tour provider, such as us.

8. APEC Cards

If you hold a valid APEC business travel card, you can simply enter China with the card without applying for a visa.

Travelers who hold a valid APEC business travel card can stay in China for up to 60 days.

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Do I Still Need a PCR Test or Antigen Self-Test to Enter China

No. Starting from August 30, all travelers entering China will no longer need to undergo any COVID-19 testing. You do not need to submit any test results for COVID-19 before departure.

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Hong Kong / Macau Travel Restriction

Hong kong entry requirements.

Travelers from any region bound for Hong Kong will no longer need to take pre-flight COVID-19 tests (no PCR test, no RAT test) from April 1.

There is also no need for any tests when traveling from Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland. Hong Kong could be a good gateway for your China trip. See suggestions on China Itineraries from Hong Kong (from 1 Week to 3 Weeks).

Direct high-speed trains from Guangzhou and Shenzhen to Hong Kong are available now. In preparation for the Canton Fair, it is expected that direct high-speed ferries will be launched from Guangzhou Pazhou Port to Hong Kong's airport in mid-April.

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Macau Entry Requirement

From August 30, travelers from any region bound for Macau will no longer need to take pre-flight COVID-19 tests (no PCR test, no RAT test).

There is also no need for any tests when traveling from Macau to the Chinese Mainland.

Inbound and outbound international flights in the week beginning March 6th rose by more than 350% compared with a year earlier, to nearly 2,500 flights, according to Chinese flight tracking data from APP Flight Master.

At present, there are one or two direct flights a week from New York to Shanghai, Los Angeles to Beijing, Seattle to Shanghai, London to Guangzhou, etc.

There are also many flight options with stopovers that are more frequent and affordable. Testing at transit airports is now not required!

The Coronavirus outbreak in China has subsided. China looks like it did in 2019 again. No special measures (like PCR tests or health codes) are required when traveling around China. All attractions are open as normal.

Wearing a mask is not mandatory when traveling. In hotels, masks are off for the most part. But in some crowded places, such as airports or subway stations, many people still wear masks.

Weather-wise, the best times to visit China are spring (April–May) and autumn (September–October), when most of the popular places have their most tourism-friendly weather, except for the "golden weeks" — the first week of May and of October — when most attractions are flooded with Chinese tourists.

If you are looking for smaller crowds, favorable prices, and still good weather, you should consider March and April or September.

Tourism in cultural and historical destinations like Beijing, Shanghai, and Xi'an is hardly affected by weather conditions. They are suitable to be visited all year round.

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We are based in China and can show you the characteristics and charm of China from a unique perspective. Just contact us to create your China trip .

Our consultants will listen to and answer your inquiries carefully and prepare the best plan for you.

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China Travel Restrictions

Traveler's COVID-19 vaccination status

Traveling from the United States to China

Open for vaccinated visitors

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Not required for vaccinated visitors

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Recommended on public transportation.

China entry details and exceptions

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Can I travel to China from the United States?

Most visitors from the United States, regardless of vaccination status, can enter China.

Can I travel to China if I am vaccinated?

Fully vaccinated visitors from the United States can enter China without restrictions.

Can I travel to China without being vaccinated?

Unvaccinated visitors from the United States can enter China without restrictions.

Do I need a COVID test to enter China?

Visitors from the United States are not required to present a negative COVID-19 PCR test or antigen result upon entering China.

Can I travel to China without quarantine?

Travelers from the United States are not required to quarantine.

Do I need to wear a mask in China?

Mask usage in China is recommended on public transportation.

Are the restaurants and bars open in China?

Restaurants in China are open. Bars in China are .

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China Travel during COVID-19 - Safe & Healthy

Latest Updated on July 5, 2022

Foreign expats living and working in China can travel around China (except Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR and Taiwan Province). Usually, visitors need to have the Green Health Codes, 14-Day Dynamic Trip Record and Valid Original Passport for trips to almost all destinations. However, some destinations and tourist attractions may have extra requirements, such as the negative result in nucleic acid test before your trip (usually within 48 hours), proof of working or living in China, and so forth. And some hotels may not receive foreign people.

Currently, even though the COVID-19 epidemic in China is basically under control and it is safer and available to travel around many places in China, you should be aware that travel restriction still exists, such as requirements of healthy code, nucleic acid testing, wearing mask, possible quarantine, etc. What make things complicated is that different provinces may have different covid policies which may change time to time. So our advice is: anytime you want to travel and anywhere you want to go, please contact us (sending email, making a call, Wechat, etc.) because we have always been contacting authorities, and we could provide accurate and up-to-date news and travel advices.

Can I Travel China with a Travel Agency?

Traveling China with a tour package by a domestic travel agency is available for foreign expats living / working in China! But there are two preconditions about the departure and visiting destinations :

1. Foreigners living / working in the province, municipality or provincial level administrative region WITHOUT medium-risk area or high-risk area.

2. No traveling to: 1). the provinces, municipalities or provincial level administrative regions with medium-risk and high-risk areas; 2). special areas with restrictions for some official reasons.

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Requirements for expats traveling in china.

If you are qualified with the precondition, you have to meet the three requirements before your booking, namely (1) Green Health Codes; (2) Green 14-Day Dynamic Trip Record; (3) Valid Original Passport .

Additional Requirements:

However, as the policy of each destination and attraction may be different and changeable, there may be some additional requirements or restrictions as following. You need to know the detailed and latest conditions from your travel consultant before booking:

(1) Proof of working in China or proof of living in China which states how long you have been working / living in China (at least 28 days working / living in China is usually required for almost all travel destinations).

(2) Negative result in nucleic acid test within 1~7 days before your trip (Time limitation of negative result is varied from different tourist attractions, travel destinations, airports, railway stations, etc. And a result within 48 hours is usually required for almost all destinations and tourist attractions.)

Important Notice: Please feel free to  contact us at any time to know the detailed and latest limitation and requirement based on your departure destination and travel destinations.

Sanitation Tips for Traveling China during COVID-19

1. Prepare enough masks (at least one per day per person) and wear a mask over your nose and mouth during your trip;

2. Hand sanitizer and wash your hands regularly;

3. A small bottle of disinfectant fluid or ethyl alcohol, disinfecting whips (better to buy at your travel destination in case of the restriction of flight or train security inspection);

4. Try to use electronic payment to reduce contact;

How Can I Get a Health QR Code?

You can use Alipay or WeChat to apply for a Health QR Code of different cities.  (1) fill in their personal information including your name, national identity number or passport number, and phone number on a sign-up page. (2) report your travel history and whether you have come into contact with any confirmed or suspected COVID-19 patients in the past 14 days. (3) tick the boxes for any symptoms they might have: fever, fatigue, dry cough, stuffy nose, running nose, throat ache or diarrhea. After the information is verified by authorities, each user will be assigned a QR code in red, amber or green. To make your travel smoothly in China, your health code in each destination should be colored in “GREEN”. You’d better make sure you have the green one before traveling.

How to Get a 14-Day Dynamic Trip Record?

Most of the cities, hotels and tourist attractions will require you to provide the 14-Day Dynamic Trip Record to display that you have not been to high-risk areas in recent 14 days. You can apply for it as following:

14-Day Dynamic Trip Record Application Procedure

Recommended Travel Destinations for Expats in China

The vast China still boasts abundant wonderful destinations to discover during the pandemic period to release your tense and enrich your life. For expats in China, southwestern area including Sichuan with adorable giant pandas and magnificent Mount Emei, Yunnan with comfortable landscape and diverse ethnic minority cultures, central and south areas with various gorgeous hills and rivers, northern area with boundless primitive prairies, etc. are quite favored for their vacations. Please check the top popular China travel destinations below to get more inspiration for your hopeful trip in the beautiful China!

Travel with China Discovery in Ease & Health during COVID-19

China Discovery is getting ready to work for you at any time!

During the past more than one and a half years, our whole team including our travel consultants team, our website & marketing team, our ticket & hotel booking team, our tour guides in different destinations have been working even harder to improve our personal skills and knowledge about China. Now, we are here full of enthusiasm and confidence to provide you a worry free vacation around China that you are longawaited! We hope to help you create your own wonderful trip memory with your family members, friends or partners or alone during such a special period like we have helped numerous other international visitors who had sent 1,830+ good reviews on tripadvisor.com and 3,630+ feedbacks through E-mail during the past years. Travel with China Discovery and let us present you memorable happiness with caring protection throughout the trip. Contact us to plan your China tour!

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China’s uneven travel recovery: Long road to international travel furthers domestic opportunities

China’s travel industry remains on an uneven recovery path. The domestic market has weathered disruptions and resumed pre-COVID-19 growth while China’s outbound travel is still extremely limited and has not seen any meaningful recovery to date. As outbound travel is likely to remain muted for the next 12 to 18 months, it is imperative that travel companies double down on opportunities in the domestic travel market.

Chinese travelers are looking to experience local destinations and new travel offerings, particularly as higher-end travelers “re-shore” overseas demand. Trends indicate that there is significant demand for outdoor experiences as well as integrated luxury offerings that act as alternatives to a traditional packaged tour. Travel companies that have adapted their products, and the ways they market them, to cater to domestic demand have pulled ahead of the competition.

Domestic travel has made a strong recovery

Chinese domestic travel has seen a world-leading post-pandemic recovery, rebounding to surpass 2019 peaks. Travel companies are still adjusting capacity and offerings to cater for pent-up demand, but the outlook across the sector is clearly positive, with demand passing pre-COVID-19 levels coming out of the May national holiday. In fact, major online travel agencies have noted domestic travel’s great momentum in April and May and describe a full recovery in long-distance travel across provinces.

Increases in air and rail travel, and hotel bookings, clearly illustrate the rebound in domestic travel. Domestic air travel passenger numbers have seen an 8 percent increase compared to 2019 figures, and seat capacity is consistently 15 percent above 2019 figures as airlines have redeployed fleets from international routes to service the domestic market. Rail travel is also on the increase, with passenger numbers at approximately 95 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels. This slightly slower recovery compared to air travel may be due to rail prices remaining constant, while air travel prices decreased due to deeper discounts. Hotel bookings are up 6 percent compared to 2019 during the May holiday (Exhibit 1).

Domestic recovery is still exposed to public-health setbacks as government responses to COVID-19 outbreaks temporarily disrupt travel. For instance, in January 2021, COVID-19 cases in Hebei province prompted government travel guidance which dented nationwide demand over the peak Chinese New Year period. Consequently, air and rail passenger numbers both fell 40 percent compared to pre-COVID-19 levels, and our Chinese-traveler sentiment survey showed a drop in traveler safety confidence at this time. 1 Guang Chen, Will Enger, Steve Saxon, and Jackey Yu, “ China’s travel sector is undergoing a nonlinear recovery: What should companies do? ,” McKinsey & Company, March 2021, McKinsey.com. Similarly, a June 2021 outbreak in Guangdong significantly impacted the travel industry in the province—hotel occupancy in Guangzhou and Shenzhen was down 75 percent by mid-June, and flight seats booked to the province fell by 50 percent.

But there are signs that the impact from single province outbreaks is becoming more contained as the national market appears to be more resilient. For instance, data show stable hotel occupancy in June for the greater Shanghai and greater Beijing areas, with Guangdong flight seat capacity surpassing 2019 levels (Exhibits 2 and 3).

There is also the macroeconomic dimension to consider. China is leading the global economic recovery, reporting 2.3 percent GDP growth in 2020, and 12.7 percent GDP growth in the first half of 2021.

Consumers may want to travel abroad, but re-orienting outbound travel to the domestic market can bring economic benefits. Pent-up consumer demand is clearly present—our January 2021 survey revealed that the share of respondents who want to travel abroad on their next holiday (43 percent) exceeded those who had domestic travel plans. But shifting tourism spend to the domestic market represents meaningful stimulus. Chinese travelers spent $255 billion internationally in 2019, approximately 1.5 percent of GDP. This stimulus is in line with policymakers’ rebalancing goal to boost ‘domestic circulation’.

And limiting inbound travel has limited economic impact. International tourism receipts represented less than 0.3 percent of China’s GDP in 2018. 2 UNWTO; 2018 data.

China’s outbound travel is likely to remain muted for 12 to 18 months

Outbound travel is still extremely limited and has not seen any meaningful recovery to date: international flight seat capacity and passenger numbers remain down by 95 percent compared to pre-COVID-19 levels. Furthermore, stringent public health measures for international travel remain in place. Government guidance is that all nonessential outbound travel should be avoided. For inbound or return travel, passengers require predeparture negative antibody and PCR tests, and the “14+7+7” quarantine system (14-day centralized hotel quarantine; one-week at-home isolation; one-week health monitoring) has been in place since January 2021.

Cross-border travel may take longer than anticipated to recover. Scaled outbound flows are unlikely to resume before the second half of 2022, or the first half of 2023. Various factors will influence when, and at what pace, international travel is likely to reopen. Given the differences in vaccine rollouts across countries, international travel may resume for different countries at different times. Box 1 details three country archetypes based on different stages of vaccine rollouts and the implications for international travel. Public-health factors will also influence how and when China will be able to lift cross-border travel restrictions, but a gradual re-opening is the most likely scenario.

Public-health factors will influence travel restrictions

Countries may open to international travel at different times.

We have identified three country archetypes that take into account the evolving viral spread and uneven global vaccine rollout dynamics. Countries in these archetypes may open up international travel at different times, and countries might change strategy and therefore move beyond categories:

• ‘High-vaccination’ (e.g., United States, United Kingdom, part of EU). These North America and Western Europe countries have reached high overall immunity. For example, 70 percent of UK citizens over the age of 18 had been fully vaccinated by late July. ‘High-vaccination’ countries is starting to open travel to each other’s vaccinated passengers during late summer. The UK has already opened quarantine-free entry to travelers vaccinated in the US, with COVID test still required. However, these timelines are expected to vary and any reciprocal corridor arrangements may remain vulnerable to interruptions due to the on-going Delta-driven wave of cases, which is reversing transitions toward normalcy across these countries. For instance, France and Germany tightened vaccination and testing requirements during the Delta outbreak in the first half of July.
• ‘Case controllers’ (e.g., China, Australia, New Zealand). These countries have accelerated vaccine rollouts, but continue to use public-health measures which have successfully limited case counts, including entry quarantines and measures to control chains of transmission. ‘Case controllers’ continue to use strict quarantines as neither vaccines nor tests are 100 percent effective, particularly against emerging virus variants. Hence any re-opening without quarantine risks rising COVID-19 case burdens in populations with limited immunity levels. These countries are not expected to remove significant quarantine restrictions on travel with other archetypes until domestic immunity is high, projecting into 2023. Travel bubbles between ‘case controllers’ can be set up, but there are few success cases to date and any bubbles will likely remain fragile.
• ‘At risk’ (e.g., Brazil, India, Vietnam). These countries are currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks or are at a risk of a major outbreak given their low to moderate immunity and limited resources for public health measures. Without accelerated access, vaccine rollouts in these counties may take until 2023, leading to significant travel restrictions with all three other archetypes.

All countries face complex choices around lifting cross-border travel restrictions, especially those that have relied on public-health measures, including quarantines, to successfully limit case counts. We view considerations for Mainland China to be weighted toward a cautious reopening with full quarantine roll-back unlikely for at least the next 12 to 18 months.

In terms of public health, China has impressively accelerated its vaccine rollout, with over 1.5 billion doses now administered, up from 5 million noted in our last report in March. 3 The National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China reports that as of July 27, 2021, China has administered over 1.5 billion doses of vaccines, http://www.nhc.gov.cn/xcs/yqjzqk/202107/d9fb9651e6214f648a412d9b892c684d.shtml. Some domestic virology experts have suggested that China might be able to reach herd immunity as early as the end of 2021.

However, while an accelerated rollout is necessary, it may not be a sufficient condition for robust reopening as vaccines are not 100 percent effective. Specifically, publicly available efficacy data on the main vaccines used in Mainland China suggest the efficacy of these jabs is lower than some vaccines developed in Western countries, particularly for older adults. 4 For the Sinovac (CoronaVac) vaccine, in emergency use approval, the WHO cited 51% efficacy against symptomatic disease for 18-60 year-old adults but noted that efficacy could not be estimated for older adults due to small enrollment in trials. The manufacturer has not officially released peer-reviewed Phase III trial data although researchers from various countries (e.g., Brazil, Turkey, UAE) have reported efficacy results in the Journal of American Medicine and The Lancet which range from approximately 40% to 85%. There are no published results on effectiveness against the Delta variant. For the Sinopharm vaccine, in its approvals for emergency use, the WHO cited 79% efficacy against symptomatic disease for adults 18-59 years old based on interim results from Phase III trials (UAE, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan). However, the WHO noted a “low confidence in the quality of evidence” on efficacy in older adults based on results available to date. The manufacturer has also not officially released peer-reviewed Phase III trial data. There are no published results on effectiveness against the Delta variant. However, available data remains variable and incomplete.

At the time of writing, China was battling its largest outbreak since 2020, leading to strong lockdowns again and domestic travel restrictions. While this wave of outbreak is still yet to be completed, it is believed that China will continue to see success with its “zero case” playbook—Quarantines for cross-border arrivals play an integral part in reducing transmission. In addition to the “14+7+7” quarantine system, compliance is tracked with QR health codes, for instance when entering residential compounds and offices, or boarding taxis and trains. These codes also support containment measures which can be deployed down to the district or individual residential community level. During outbreaks, authorities continue to deploy mass testing and mandatory home quarantines. For example, in Guangzhou 18 million tests were conducted over three days in June, with home lockdown for residents in affected districts who were required to show three consecutive days of negative nucleic acid tests before being allowed to leave.

Even as China is containing the spread of COVID-19, many key Chinese travel destination markets are seeing a worsening pandemic situation, such as Japan, Korea, most Southeast Asian countries, and Australia. Many of these countries are no longer travel-bubble candidates.

Cross-border travel will reopen gradually

As China cross-border travel does gradually reopen, outbound leisure—especially group travel—is likely to be the last trip type to see restrictions relaxed. Initial stages could see shortened and/or more flexible quarantines paired with testing to facilitate essential business travel and family reunions. Outbound leisure travel will likely only recover in 2023 as this requires quarantine-free travel to a pool of attractive destinations.

We expect the balance of public health and economic incentives for this opening to remain weighted toward caution for policymakers, while demand from Chinese consumers will likely remain limited as long as COVID-19 safety concerns persist.

Meanwhile, despite several false starts, we do still see a role for travel bubbles between China and other ‘case controllers’. However, getting these bubbles off the ground remains challenging and we expect the total impact on Chinese international travel to be limited. Travel bubbles require established trust in public-health management across partners, and extended negotiation timelines. Even once they are in place they remain vulnerable to unexpected shifts in the local COVID-19 situation. For instance, an outbreak in June caused Macau to reimplement 14-day quarantines for Guangdong travelers, as Guangdong accounts for roughly 70 percent of arrivals from Mainland China.

However, the prevalent ‘test-fly-test’ bubble model still limits attractiveness for Chinese travelers—the Macau bubble is a case study that demonstrates a low growth ceiling under these conditions. Mainland tourist arrivals in Macau rebounded in the third quarter of 2020 to between 20 and 30 percent of pre-COVID-19 levels after quarantine-free travel resumed, but had stagnated even before the further shock from the June Guangdong outbreak (Exhibit 4).

Hong Kong, which topped pre-COVID-19 destinations for travelers from Mainland China—at 19 percent of total outbound trips—represents a logical extension of the Macau bubble model. A Mainland China-Hong Kong bubble has been discussed for over a year but tangible progress has remained limited to date. Recent media reports indicate that any bubble would begin with business travel between Hong Kong and Guangdong and not include leisure travel. The Macau case suggests that even once quarantine-free leisure travel is resumed, it would not rapidly recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Most other reasonable candidates for a Mainland China travel bubble are not large-scale travel destinations. Other ‘case controller’ markets are unlikely to move the needle on international travel, for example Australia only accounted for 1 percent of outbound trips in 2019, New Zealand 0.4 percent, and Singapore 3 percent.

Ultimately, decisions about how much and how fast to open travel, across types and destinations, belong to Chinese policymakers.

Sustained tailwinds for the domestic market

The silver lining to China’s international travel remaining restricted is domestic market opportunities, such as new destinations, new experiences and new ways to approach customers. New destination hot spots are emerging, particularly in western China, as the trend toward outdoor experiences gains traction. Solidifying a trend we noted in our last report, the domestic leisure travel heatmap is shifting. This shift is led by higher-end travelers ‘re-shoring’ overseas demand. For example, in a leading online travel agency’s list of top-ten May holiday destinations, five of the ten are new destinations not on previous year’s lists. And four of these five are natural scenery driven destinations; three of them in western China (Exhibit 5).

Hainan also remains a popular destination, possibly as a substitution for a Southeast Asian beach holiday or duty-free shopping trip. Duty-free sales in Hainan grew by 226 percent in the year to July 2021, with $1.5 billion spent during the five-day May holiday alone.

Furthermore, Chinese travelers are gravitating toward premium, integrated experiences that move beyond the packaged tour stereotype. Luxury and upscale hotels have outperformed on occupancy and average daily rate in 2021, with a 5 to 15 percent higher occupancy than 2019 during holiday peaks. By comparison, midscale and economy hotels are still between 10 and 15 percent below 2019 levels. Affluent Chinese used to head to Hong Kong or Japan for the weekend for shopping and relaxation—significant amounts of that spend are now being redirected domestically.

Chinese consumers, already the world’s most digital, spend more than 65 percent of their online time on social content, and online time has increased by 20 percent since the pandemic. Chinese consumers now spend over 7 hours a day online. While personal recommendations and mass marketing still matter, social media and streaming are key emerging sources of inspiration for travel destinations. Our survey data indicates that 57 percent of consumers have been inspired by influencers who introduce them to travel destinations online, while 26 percent have been inspired by travel advertisements on video streaming platforms.

Local travel companies are shifting towards direct-to-customer (D2C) distribution models. For instance, some mid-tier hotel chains with strong IP elements now generate 80 percent of their sales from social D2C channels across WeChat and proprietary apps.

Travel players looking to capitalize on these trends could take the following three steps: First, companies could upgrade their brand positioning and portfolio, aligned to growth destinations and emerging re-shoring themes such as increased demand for outdoor experiences and natural scenery. Second, they could refresh or develop new integrated “tourism-plus” products for sophisticated consumers. Finally, travel companies could keep their digital marketing engines well-oiled to match the evolving social landscape.

China’s outbound travel is still extremely limited and has not seen any meaningful recovery to date. Furthermore, stringent public health measures for international travel remain in place and cross-border travel is unlikely to resume at scale before the second half of 2022, or the first half of 2023.

Many travel companies had made plans for ‘hockey stick’ growth in China outbound travel, but the delayed reopening outlook demonstrates a heightened imperative to win domestic customers. And re-orienting outbound travel to the domestic market can bring economic benefits—Chinese travelers spent $255 billion internationally in 2019, and these travelers may now be looking for local travel experiences instead. On the other hand, for companies had been focusing on outbound travel demand, the upcoming 12–18 months remain challenging. Rethinking business focus in short term and more agile preparation for the reopening of international travel in mid-term is equally crucial to sustain relevance in the market.

Trends indicate that opportunities are emerging in the domestic market. Chinese travelers are gravitating toward outdoor experiences as well as luxury integrated offerings. And how consumers choose these offerings is also changing—social media channels are now key sources of inspiration for travel destinations.

It is critical to diversify travel offerings and marketing models to cater to the domestic market. Travel companies that have done so are reaping the benefits.

Guang Chen is a partner in McKinsey’s Hong Kong office, where Matthew Phillips is a consultant and Jackey Yu is an associate partner; and Steve Saxon is a partner in the Shenzhen office.

The authors would like to thank Zi Chen, Carrie Ma, and Anchit Sood.

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More domestic travel restrictions as China battles Covid-19 resurgence

BEIJING - China is on edge, with new cases of Covid-19 continuing to show up in several northern cities even as the authorities put new control measures in place ahead of the Chinese New Year holiday, when millions of people are expected to be on the move.

Residents have been discouraged from travelling during the holidays amid fears of a large-scale resurgence of the coronavirus, which could - in a repeat of last year - bring the barely recovered economy to a screeching halt.

New infections have shown up in five regions - Beijing, Hebei, Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang - with 141 new cases reported on Wednesday (Jan 20).

This brings the total number of active infections to 2,342. Fifty-eight new asymptomatic infections, which are kept on a separate tally, were also reported on Wednesday.

The health authorities on Wednesday announced that those wanting to return home during the upcoming holidays, which begin on Feb 12, will have to present to local authorities a nucleic acid test taken within seven days.

Those entering rural villages will have to go through a 14-day isolation period, when they will not be allowed to move around outside their homes or gather in crowds.

Officially, the Spring Festival holiday runs from Feb 11-17 but the officially designated 40-day travel season will begin on Jan 28 and go on till March 8.

Although the Chinese government has provided free Covid-19 testing for those made to undergo compulsory testing, Spring Festival travellers will have to foot the nucleic acid test bill themselves, said Dr Wang Bin of the National Health Commission.

The health authorities in capital Beijing are also nervously watching the continuing outbreak in neighbouring Hebei province while dealing with outbreaks in two Beijing districts bordering the province.

North-eastern Shunyi, close to the city's main airport, has been under a partial lockdown since cases started to surface just before Christmas last year. Residents have been encouraged to stay within the area, while ride-sharing services like Didi have been suspended from picking up passengers there.

In southern Daxing, where the city's other airport is located, 1.3 million residents have been ordered to undergo nucleic acid testing, and only those who have special permission can leave Beijing.

A popular ice-skating rink in the city also announced it will shut from Thursday to prevent the spread of the virus.

International travellers entering Beijing will now have to undergo 14 days of centralised quarantine, seven days of additional home or centralised quarantine, and seven more days of health monitoring.

Meanwhile, transport officials said in a press conference that some 407 million trips are expected over the festive period. This is a 10 per cent increase from last year, when cities went into lockdown shortly after the holidays began to contain the virus.

There is concern that while most active cases are now largely confined to the north of the country, which is going through a harsher than normal winter, this could easily change during the world's largest annual human migration.

Governments across East Asia have been torn between keeping a lid on the virus while also managing expectations during a time of year marked by family reunions and gatherings.

In Hong Kong, the authorities vacillated about cancelling New Year markets before letting them continue albeit with strict crowd control measures. In Taiwan, where the virus is largely under control, a lantern festival and New Year market were cancelled after new cases linked to a hospital cluster emerged.

Meanwhile, as a vaccine roll-out continues across the country, with some 15 million already inoculated, the health commission said it would look into whether travellers who test positive for coronavirus antibodies may be allowed into the country. Currently, international travellers who have virus antibodies are barred from entering China.

"At present, we have noticed many areas overseas have started vaccination work. As part of China's prevention and control measures, we will consider these factors as more vaccination work is carried out," Dr Wang of the NHC said.

Correction note: This article has been edited to reflect the correct number of trips expected over the festive period. We are sorry for the error.

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China Relaxes Domestic Travel Restrictions In Zero-COVID Retreat

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COVID-19 Updates

Learn Chinese in China or on Zoom and gain fluency in Chinese!

Join CLI and learn Chinese with your personal team of Mandarin teachers online or in person at the CLI Center in Guilin , China.

Due to the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, many students may find their study plans affected.

CLI is currently open and welcoming students who are already in mainland China. While there is currently little to no community transmission in most parts of China and the pandemic is well under control domestically, clusters of COVID-19 cases do occasionally appear. As a result, the country's domestic travel policies are subject to change with little advance notice. As of this writing on January 27, 2022, CLI is currently limiting enrollment to students within mainland China.

To help students consider options during this unique time, we will post frequent updates to this page to keep our community informed about the situation in China and how COVID-19 is affecting CLI.

Table of Contents

International Travel into China

Visa facilitation for those inoculated with chinese vaccines, covid test requirements, quarantine requirements, travel between provinces, mask requirements, green health code requirements, local school and university restrictions, general visa guidance from the chinese government, general updates, china seminars, teach english in china, check back for regular updates.

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The Situation in China

By and large, the pandemic is under control in China. China continues to pursue an aggressive "Zero-COVID" strategy which has been largely successful at keeping the virus at bay. COVID vaccination in China is completely voluntary and over 80% of the population is fully vaccinated with domestically developed and produced Chinese vaccines. Proof of vaccination is not required to enter public venues or engage in any other aspects of daily life. 

Over the past few months, there was a relatively large outbreak in Xi'an that resulted in a prolonged lockdown that caused major disruptions to many aspects of daily life, but that has now been lifted. Due to the extremely contagious nature of the Omicron variant, China has also been experiencing sporadic outbreaks in provinces across the country, some of which feature untraceable community transmission.

Areas in China where outbreaks are currently occurring are usually referred to as “high risk areas” (高风险地区 gāo fēngxiǎn dìqū) and "medium risk areas" (中风险地区 zhōng fēngxiǎn dìqū ).

People who have recently visited such areas generally face stricter restrictions than other travelers. It is likely that the same policy will continue to be implemented going forward. 

The majority of China's recently recorded cases have been "imported," meaning they were identified in passengers arriving to China from abroad.

Strict quarantine and testing requirements are in place for international arrivals, and these policies have largely helped prevent "imported" cases from leading to larger outbreaks. 

Strict public health measures have largely brought the coronavirus outbreak under control in China.

As a result of the ongoing pandemic, China still has a variety of coronavirus-related travel restrictions in place. These restrictions change frequently and can vary depending on your country of origin as well as your destination province within China.

In addition to consulting the following information, we recommend checking with your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate for the latest information regarding COVID-related travel restrictions.

Entry into mainland China for most non-Chinese nationals holding valid visas has been suspended. Limited exceptions exist. Foreigners holding diplomatic, service, courtesy or C visas are still permitted to enter China.

Foreigners who hold visas that were issued outside of mainland China after March 28, 2020 are allowed to enter, although those coming from the US are required to get their coronavirus test results validated by a Chinese embassy or consulate in the US and successfully obtain a green health code before being allowed to board their flight. Although vaccination is voluntary for those already in China, foreign nationals are required to show proof of COVID vaccination in order to obtain permission to fly.

Technically, it is possible to apply for a new Chinese visa at this time, but in general, these visas will only be issued to foreigners who must come to China for emergency humanitarian needs or to engage in what the Chinese government deems necessary technological, scientific, economic or trade activities.

Foreigners whose intended activities are considered "necessary" usually need to obtain a special invitation letter, known as a PU letter , from the Chinese government before they can apply for a Chinese visa. Note that even with a PU letter, it is sometimes still not possible to obtain a visa.

China's various visa-free transit policies have also been suspended, including visa-free transit for cruise ship passengers and tour groups from ASEAN countries. Port visas are suspended, as is entry for those holding APEC Business Travel Cards.

In November 2020, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that foreigners from certain countries who hold valid Chinese residence permits for personal affairs, family reunion and work can return to China without applying for a new visa. Entry into China by foreigners holding permanent residence permits (Chinese green cards) is not restricted.

Like many countries around the world, China has implemented various travel restrictions.

Tourists and students from most countries are still prohibited from entering China at this time. Recent changes allowing some foreigners with valid residence permits to return to China do not apply to those holding valid residence permits for study. 

Some students from South Korea are now able to enter China thanks to an agreement between the Chinese and South Korean governments. However, most schools in Guilin, including CLI, are not able to accept South Korean students who are not already physically in China at this time.

There is still no word on when international students from most countries will be allowed to enter China, but the loosening of restrictions for South Korean students and recent promising COVID-19 vaccine news seem to be encouraging signs.

In mid-March 2021, several Chinese embassies and consulates throughout the world announced that they will give special consideration to visa applicants who have been inoculated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccines made in China.

On March 15, 2021, the Chinese embassy in the US issued a notice which states that foreign nationals and their family members who have been inoculated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccines will be able to apply for visas according to pre-pandemic requirements.

Restrictions were also relaxed for foreign family members of Chinese citizens and for holders of APEC business travel cards. International students were not included in the announcement.

The Chinese vaccine is not available in the United States at this time, although it is available in many other countries.

Since this announcement, some people have begun traveling internationally to get the Chinese vaccine in hopes that it will facilitate their entry into China. While some people have been successful with this strategy, there have also been anecdotal reports of those who have been inoculated with Chinese vaccines having their visa applications denied or being requested to present a PU letter just like unvaccinated applicants.

If you are currently allowed to enter China and are planning your travels, expect to encounter a variety of public health measures put in place by the Chinese government.

All passengers whose destination is China, including Chinese nationals, must present both a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test and a negative serological test for IgM antibodies before boarding their flight.

Two different negative coronavirus test results are now required for all travelers permitted to enter China.

These “dual negative” results must be from tests performed within 48 hours of departure. In early January 2022, new guidelines were released which also require passengers flying from the US to get tested seven days before their flights. Test results need to be approved by your local Chinese embassy or consulate, then presented upon check-in for your flight to China.

Since travelers who have been inoculated with some of the coronavirus vaccines available in the United States may test positive for certain proteins without actually being infected with COVID-19, the Chinese embassy has released special testing requirements to accommodate such passengers.

Transiting through other countries is only allowed if a person's passport country has no direct flights to China. If transiting through other countries, passengers may be required to take coronavirus tests in their transit country and provide the new results to the airport authorities before catching their next flight.

Upon entering China, passengers are required to spend 14 days in quarantine at their own expense, which will be monitored by Chinese health authorities and will take place at a designated location. 

As of this writing in January 2022, quarantine is generally not required for those traveling within China from one mainland Chinese province to another. That said, local policies can change quickly so travelers are strongly advised to check for updates on your destination before departure. Some Chinese provinces may require travelers arriving from other parts of China that are currently experiencing outbreaks to quarantine upon arrival.

To help prevent future outbreaks, all travelers arriving in China are required to quarantine for 14 days.

Travel between provinces is currently allowed in China. Travelers coming from cities with medium or high risk areas will frequently be asked to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours, although the exact time-frame varies and depends on local policy.

Travelers coming from high risk areas often face additional restrictions which may include extended periods of quarantine.

In general in China's population centers, masks are worn in crowded places and on public transportation. They are required in certain spaces, such as on airplanes and in trains. While traveling in China, it's best to check the surrounding area for signs indicating whether masks are required in the given venue.

Mask wearing is commonplace throughout China.

Early in the pandemic, China worked with WeChat and Alipay to roll out an app that helps track people’s exposure to the novel coronavirus. Based on their recent movements and proximity to COVID patients, people are assigned a “health code” which is then used by authorities to control their movements.

People with a green health code (绿码 lǜmǎ ) are generally permitted to travel where they please, but restrictions are placed on those with yellow or red health codes. These codes are still very much in use throughout China and have become a big part of daily life.

Without a green health code in hand, it isn’t possible to do things as mundane as using public transportation or checking into a hotel. Foreigners in the country are also expected to download this health code tracking system .

Having a green health code is essential for moving about in China during the pandemic.

Although Chinese grade schools and universities cancelled almost all in-person instruction during spring semester 2020, virtually all have resumed in-person instruction .

The resumption of in-person learning does not mean that things have completely returned to normal, however. Many schools have implemented a variety of strict infection control measures. Universities, in particular, have implemented “closed” and “semi-closed” campus management systems, which involve not allowing students to leave campus unless absolutely necessary.

In order to enter campus at many public grade schools and universities, students and faculty need to show identification, have their temperature checked, and present a green health code.

Schools in China have a number of measures in place to control the spread of the virus.

The pandemic is currently ongoing, and the situation continues to evolve. We encourage students to check the Chinese Embassy’s website ( in English or Chinese ) for official updates from China’s National Immigration Administration. Before attempting to wade through China’s official pandemic-related announcements, consider brushing up on your coronavirus-related Chinese vocabulary .

If in the United States, we also encourage you to join the Swift Passport & Visa Services email listserv for ongoing updates (see bottom right corner of Swift’s homepage to sign up for email updates).

The Situation at CLI

Though this has been a difficult period, CLI continues to thrive as a community and as a Chinese language school. Much of our activity has turned to our online one-on-one language program , and we've been thrilled to welcome international students already within China for our Immersion Program in Guilin and custom travel seminars to destinations in Guangxi .

Unfortunately, we cannot accept students applying to study in China from abroad at this time due to Chinese government travel restrictions (see International Travel into China section above). If you are already in China, however, we can’t wait to welcome you to CLI!

Life has more or less returned to normal at CLI.

Life in Guilin and at CLI has mostly returned to normal, although mask wearing is still quite common and is required in some places. Students arriving in Guilin from other parts of China who are in possession of a green health code (see Green Health Code Requirements section above) are not required to quarantine upon arrival.

As an added precaution, CLI does require all students arriving in Guilin from other parts of China to present a negative COVID-19 nucleic acid test (核酸检测 hésuān jiǎncè ) taken within the past 7 days. Students should complete their COVID tests in the city that they are coming from before departing for Guilin as they may also be asked to present their test results at the airport or train station. 

Unlike Chinese universities, CLI has not instituted a closed management system (discussed in the Local School and University Restrictions section above). Therefore, CLI students are free to enter and exit the CLI Center whenever they please.

CLI does not restrict students from leaving Guilin. If students would like to travel on the weekends, they can do so. That said, however, as a result of the pandemic, travel within China is not as convenient as it once was. Students who choose to leave Guilin risk getting caught in the middle of any new outbreaks that may occur.

Guilin and the surrounding areas offer amazing travel opportunities for current CLI students.

Each of our program offerings remain active to varying degrees, depending on your current location. Below is a detailed explanation of the current situation for each:

CLI’s Chinese Immersion Program is going strong. While we cannot accept students arriving from outside China at this time, all students who are already in China are welcome to enroll .

Both short and long-term in-person intensive Chinese programs are available and you can start on any Monday of the year. If you are currently in China, we're excited to welcome you to Guilin to learn Chinese.

For those currently in China, CLI’s Immersion Program offers an amazing opportunity to improve your Chinese while discovering one of China’s most idyllic destinations.

Unfortunately, we have paused our for-credit Study Abroad in China option at this time. In-person instruction for most of the classes for Chinese students at our partner university, Guangxi Normal University (GXNU) , has resumed. However, GXNU is still only holding classes online for international students. Once all in-person classes at the university have resumed, we look forward to restarting our joint study abroad program as soon as possible.

Students interested in studying Chinese at CLI should check out our other programs, including our Immersion Program and our online offerings , which are still in full swing. If interested in attending a modified for-credit program, please contact CLI .

China Seminars are still happening at CLI! We recently hosted several great programs for groups traveling to Guilin from other cities in China, and we are looking forward to hosting several more over the coming months. Contact us for more information or to get started designing your seminar.

CLI’s China Seminars go deeper into China and explore a range of social, economic, and environmental topics.

If you are currently in mainland China and would like to teach English in China , we stand ready to assist you. Due to the fact that many foreigners left China at the start of the coronavirus outbreak, there is currently a high demand for foreign teachers at schools and training centers throughout the country.

We partner with schools in both urban Guilin and the surrounding rural areas and would love to help you choose the right teaching position .

If you aren’t able to travel to Guilin to study Chinese in-person, we invite you to study Chinese online with CLI . We have been offering online instruction since our founding in 2009 and have continued to refine our online pedagogy ever since.

As people search for meaningful ways to use their time while quarantining at home, our online enrollment has grown considerably. Studying Chinese online is a great way to improve your Chinese and stay connected with China.

Studying Chinese online with CLI is a great way to keep your Mandarin skills fresh.

We know many students are eager to return to China to continue their studies. We will continue to update this page regularly to keep you informed about the situation in China and Guilin and we hope to see you again soon! Until then, please stay safe! As always, feel free to reach out to us anytime .

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Current travel restrictions in China

Currently, travel restrictions in China are very much in place due to the current situation caused by Covid-19 , and whilst the country is far from “back to normal”, the situation there has improved greatly.

Here’s a brief guide to travel restrictions in place in Mainland China as of April 14th 2020.

Domestic Inbound

• Resident travelling from non-Hubei Provinces: 14-day quarantine.
• Resident travelling from Hubei Province: apply online through “京心相助” WeChat program, and report the information to your community (village) and unit before returning to Beijing. 14-day quarantine required.
• Visitor: No 14-day quarantine requirement, health certificate with a negative RNA test result within 7 days needed. The national health pass code needed or “北京健康宝“ is certified as “no abnormality”. Accept the health management of the hotel.

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from Hubei Province: A green health QR code & a negative RNA test result are required; If without, the traveller is subject to 14-day quarantine & RNA tests at least twice a day.

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from non-Hubei Provinces: No restriction.

International Inbound

Travellers from or who have traveled to 16 severe epidemic areas with negative RNA test result are subject to 14 days mandatory quarantine. Travellers from non-severe epidemic areas with negative RNA test result are required to conduct a 14-day stay-in observation and be included in the community health management.

No Restriction for both domestic and international travel outbound. But currently only limited international flights departing from Chongqing.

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from non-Hubei Provinces: no quarantine required.

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from Hubei Province: (1) those who travels from Wuhan city after 8th April and can provide two negative RNA test results is exempt from further RNA tests; who provides only one negative RNA test result is subject to another RNA test after his arrival in Chengdu; who can’t provide any RNA test results is subject to RNA tests twice after his arrival in Chengdu. (2) who travels from cities other than Wuhan after 8th April and can provide a negative RNA test result is exempt from further RNA tests; who can’t provide any test result is subject to an RNA test. (3) those who travels from Hubei Province before 8th April and is currently under quarantine need to provide one negative RNA result (tested within one week) to release from quarantine. Read more

Travellers from or have travelled to the 16 severe epidemic countries/areas, as well as the other countries/areas, within the past 14 days are required to stay at the government-designated local hotels for health observation and RNA tests. Read more

No Restriction for both domestic and international travel outbound. But currently only limited international flights departing from Chengdu.

•   Resident/Visitor: No 14-day quarantine requirement. Basic temperature check on arrival. Need to fill in the 穗康码 or 粤康码 app in advance for health confirmation.

All will be subject to a nucleic acid test and quarantine. If an individual shows abnormal symptoms they will be brought immediately to a hospital. A chartered bus will bring all Guangzhou-destined travellers to a designated quarantine area for testing and travellers will stay there for 14 days. If a traveller’s destination is outside of Guangzhou, that city’s government will pick up the traveller and bring them to that city’s designated quarantine area for testing and travellers will stay there for 14 days.

No Restrictions.

•   Resident/Visitor: No Restriction if presenting a green health code; with yellow or red code might be required to undergo 14-day quarantine.

Personnel entering Nanjing from overseas will be required to undergo a 14-day quarantine for medical observation at designated place.

•   Visitor: No quarantine requirement if providing green health code, but need to check with hotels in advance for further details.

•   Resident: No restriction.

1) Following the national policy which has taken effect since 28th March. Foreigners are not allowed to enter Tianjin except ones with approved business related visa.

2) 14 days mandatory quarantine is implemented on Chinese residents travelling back to Tianjin. Read more

No Restriction for both domestic and international travel outbound. But currently only limited international flights departing.

•   Resident: No restrictions. However, Shanghai issued a notice on 8th April to encourage and support enterprises and institutions to carry out coronavirus nucleic acid testing for the newly arrived (returning) employees from certain areas (didn’t specify which areas). Enterprises can make appointments at the medical institutions appointed by the Shanghai Municipal Health and Health Commission at their own expense.

•   Visitor: No restriction, but needs to check with hotels in advance for further details.

1. All international flights are directed to Pudong Airport. From 28th March, all passengers entering Shanghai from abroad, including those transferring in Shanghai will be subjected to virus testing and centralised quarantine for 14 days. For the elderly, minors, pregnant women, people with reduced mobility, people with basic diseases or other reasons that are not suitable for centralized quarantine, if the test result is negative and conditions of home quarantine allow, home quarantine can be applied upon strict verification and approval. Read more

2. Ticketed Chinese passengers returning to China from 26 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Netherlands, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States) are required to fill in their personal data, health status and recent travel information on daily base consecutively for 14 days before boarding via a WeChat mini program “防疫健康码国际版”. Not filling in the form as required will lead to the rejection of boarding. If filling out the form with false information, the passenger will be blocked from further continuing the trip and has to assume related legal responsibilities. Read more

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from Hubei Province: No quarantine; subject to one RNA test. Read more

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from other Provinces: No restriction if presenting a green health QR code. Read more

Temporary suspension for the entry of foreigners holding a valid Chinese visa and residence permit. For the Chinese passengers, they should fill in the epidemic prevention health information form before landing in China and are then subject to a 14-day quarantine with 2 RNA tests and one antibody test; afterwards, subject to an additional control on their destination sites after leaving Shenyang. Read more

No Restriction for both domestic and international travel outbound. But currently only a limited number of international flights are departing from Shenyang.

•   Resident/Visitor travelling from Chinese provinces/cities outside of Guangzhou: No 14-day quarantine requirement. Basic temperature check on arrival. Need to fill in the i深圳 or 粤康码 app in advance for health confirmation.

All will be subject to a nucleic acid test and quarantine. If an individual shows abnormal symptoms he will be brought immediately to hospital. A chartered bus will bring all Shenzhen-destined travellers to a designated quarantine area for testing and travellers will stay there for 14 days. If a traveller’s destination is outside of Shenzhen, that city’s government will pick up the traveller and bring them to that city’s designated quarantine area for testing and travellers will stay there for 14 days.

No restrictions.

International flights to China

Whilst there are now some domestic departures within China, international departures and arrivals have largely ground to a halt.

So, yes, the situation in China is improving but getting in and out will probably not be happening for the foreseeable future.

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Exclusive-US Airlines, Unions Urge Biden Administration Not to Approve More China Flights

A China Eastern Airlines aircraft and Shanghai Airlines aircraft are seen in Hongqiao International Airport in Shanghai, China June 4, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song/FILE PHOTO

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Major U.S. airlines and aviation unions on Thursday urged the Biden administration to pause approvals of additional flights between China and the United States, citing ongoing "anti-competitive policies of the Chinese government."

In February, the U.S. Transportation Department said Chinese passenger airlines could boost weekly round-trip U.S. flights to 50 starting on March 31, up from the current 35, about a third of pre-pandemic levels. U.S. carriers were authorized as well to fly 50 flights per week but are currently not using all those flights.

Airlines for America, a trade group whose members include American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines, and unions in a letter to the Transportation and State departments cited the "advantage Chinese airlines receive by continuing to access Russian airspace, while U.S. carriers stopped flying through Russian airspace at the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in March 2022."

The letter, which was first reported by Reuters, was signed by the Air Line Pilots Association, Allied Pilots Association and Association of Flight Attendants. It called on Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg to "pause additional passenger flights between the United States and the People’s Republic of China until U.S. workers and businesses are guaranteed equality of access in the marketplace, free from the existing harmful anti-competitive policies of the Chinese government."

Flights between China and the United States - which were a point of contention during the COVID-19 pandemic - have emerged as a rare area of cooperation between the two super powers, but U.S. airlines have expressed concern about the rapid pace of increasing flights.

Airlines are worried the Biden administration could boost or even double to 100 the number of weekly flights permitted by Chinese carriers.

Separately, U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher, the chair of the House select committee on China, and the panel's top Democrat, Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi, urged the Biden administration in a separate letter Wednesday not to approve more flights until China abides "by its existing bilateral agreement, and passenger demand begins to recover."

The lawmakers said Chinese carriers "operate air

routes at an anticompetitive commercial advantage that must not be allowed to increase without reciprocal parity in the number of U.S. carrier operated routes" to China. It added that "American passengers must not be exposed to unnecessary security risks by traversing Russian airspace."

More than 150 weekly round-trip passenger flights were allowed by each side before restrictions were imposed in early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but until August 2023, Chinese and U.S. carriers could each fly only 12 a week between the two countries.

The number rose on Sept. 1 to 18 weekly round-trips and then to 24 per week starting Oct. 29. The USDOT approved 35 for Chinese carriers in November.

Reuters reported last June that newly approved Chinese flights to the United States were not overflying Russia, which would have given them a shorter flight time and fuel advantage over U.S. rivals blocked from Russian airspace.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Matthew Lewis)

Copyright 2024 Thomson Reuters .

Tags: United States

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Yellen says global concerns growing over China's excess industrial capacity

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Chinese migration to US is nothing new – but the reasons for recent surge at Southern border are

Published: Apr 10, 2024

By: Magazine Editor

Written by Meredith Oyen , associate professor of history , UMBC

The brief closure of the Darien Gap – a perilous 66-mile jungle journey linking South American and Central America – in February 2024 temporarily halted one of the Western Hemisphere’s busiest migration routes . It also highlighted its importance to a small but growing group of people that depend on that pass to make it to the U.S.: Chinese migrants .

While a record 2.5 million migrants were detained at the United States’ southwestern land border in 2023, only about 37,000 were from China .

I’m a scholar of migration and China . What I find most remarkable in these figures is the speed with which the number of Chinese migrants is growing. Nearly 10 times as many Chinese migrants crossed the southern border in 2023 as in 2022. In December 2023 alone, U.S. Border Patrol officials reported encounters with about 6,000 Chinese migrants , in contrast to the 900 they reported a year earlier in December 2022.

The dramatic uptick is the result of a confluence of factors that range from a slowing Chinese economy and tightening political control by President Xi Jinping to the easy access to online information on Chinese social media about how to make the trip.

Middle-class Chinese migrants

Journalists reporting from the border have generalized that Chinese migrants come largely from the self-employed middle class . They are not rich enough to use education or work opportunities as a means of entry, but they can afford to fly across the world .

According to a report from Reuters , in many cases those attempting to make the crossing are small-business owners who saw irreparable damage to their primary or sole source of income due to China’s “zero COVID” policies . The migrants are women, men and, in some cases, children accompanying parents from all over China.

Chinese nationals have long made the journey to the United States seeking economic opportunity or political freedom. Based on recent media interviews with migrants coming by way of South America and the U.S.’s southern border, the increase in numbers seems driven by two factors.

First, the most common path for immigration for Chinese nationals is through a student visa or H1-B visa for skilled workers. But travel restrictions during the early months of the pandemic temporarily stalled migration from China. Immigrant visas are out of reach for many Chinese nationals without family or vocation-based preferences, and tourist visas require a personal interview with a U.S. consulate to gauge the likelihood of the traveler returning to China.

Social media tutorials

Second, with the legal routes for immigration difficult to follow, social media accounts have outlined alternatives for Chinese who feel an urgent need to emigrate. Accounts on Douyin, the TikTok clone available in mainland China, document locations open for visa-free travel by Chinese passport holders. On TikTok itself, migrants could find information on where to cross the border, as well as information about transportation and smugglers, commonly known as “snakeheads ,” who are experienced with bringing migrants on the journey north.

With virtual private networks, immigrants can also gather information from U.S. apps such as X, YouTube, Facebook and other sites that are otherwise blocked by Chinese censors.

Inspired by social media posts that both offer practical guides and celebrate the journey , thousands of Chinese migrants have been flying to Ecuador, which allows visa-free travel for Chinese citizens , and then making their way over land to the U.S.-Mexican border.

This journey involves trekking through the Darien Gap, which despite its notoriety as a dangerous crossing has become an increasingly common route for migrants from Venezuela, Colombia and all over the world.

In addition to information about crossing the Darien Gap, these social media posts highlight the best places to cross the border. This has led to a large share of Chinese asylum seekers following the same path to Mexico’s Baja California to cross the border near San Diego.

Chinese migration to US is nothing new

The rapid increase in numbers and the ease of accessing information via social media on their smartphones are new innovations. But there is a longer history of Chinese migration to the U.S. over the southern border – and at the hands of smugglers.

From 1882 to 1943, the United States banned all immigration by male Chinese laborers and most Chinese women. A combination of economic competition and racist concerns about Chinese culture and assimilability ensured that the Chinese would be the first ethnic group to enter the United States illegally.

With legal options for arrival eliminated, some Chinese migrants took advantage of the relative ease of movement between the U.S. and Mexico during those years. While some migrants adopted Mexican names and spoke enough Spanish to pass as migrant workers, others used borrowed identities or paperwork from Chinese people with a right of entry, like U.S.-born citizens. Similarly to what we are seeing today, it was middle- and working-class Chinese who more frequently turned to illegal means. Those with money and education were able to circumvent the law by arriving as students or members of the merchant class, both exceptions to the exclusion law.

Though these Chinese exclusion laws officially ended in 1943, restrictions on migration from Asia continued until Congress revised U.S. immigration law in the Hart-Celler Act in 1965 . New priorities for immigrant visas that stressed vocational skills as well as family reunification, alongside then Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping’s policies of “reform and opening,” helped many Chinese migrants make their way legally to the U.S. in the 1980s and 1990s.

Even after the restrictive immigration laws ended, Chinese migrants without the education or family connections often needed for U.S. visas continued to take dangerous routes with the help of “snakeheads.”

One notorious incident occurred in 1993, when a ship called the Golden Venture ran aground near New York , resulting in the drowning deaths of 10 Chinese migrants and the arrest and conviction of the snakeheads attempting to smuggle hundreds of Chinese migrants into the United States.

Existing tensions

Though there is plenty of precedent for Chinese migrants arriving without documentation, Chinese asylum seekers have better odds of success than many of the other migrants making the dangerous journey north.

An estimated 55% of Chinese asylum seekers are successful in making their claims, often citing political oppression and lack of religious freedom in China as motivations. By contrast, only 29% of Venezuelans seeking asylum in the U.S. have their claim granted, and the number is even lower for Colombians, at 19%.

The new halt on the migratory highway from the south has affected thousands of new migrants seeking refuge in the U.S. But the mix of push factors from their home country and encouragement on social media means that Chinese migrants will continue to seek routes to America.

And with both migration and the perceived threat from China likely to be features of the upcoming U.S. election, there is a risk that increased Chinese migration could become politicized, leaning further into existing tensions between Washington and Beijing.

This article is republished from  The Conversation  under a Creative Commons license. Read the  original article  and see  more than 250 UMBC articles  available in The Conversation.

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Beijing vows to ‘resolutely counter-attack’ any US visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials over Article 23 domestic national security law

• Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin warns US over possible travel restrictions floated by Secretary of State Antony Blinken
• War of words follows US report criticising new domestic national security law, as Wang urges Washington to understand 'one country, two systems' governing principle

Beijing has vowed to "resolutely counter-attack" any potential moves by the US to impose visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials over the enactment of the city's domestic national security law .

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin warned against the curbs on Monday, three days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Washington was considering imposing travel restrictions on Hong Kong officials deemed "responsible for the intensifying crackdown on rights and freedoms".

Wang said Beijing was strongly opposed to Blinken's "so-called report", which he labelled "irresponsible", and had already made its concerns clear to Washington.

Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge , our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.

"[The United States] confused right and wrong, as well as seriously interfered in Hong Kong affairs and China's internal affairs," he said at a press briefing in Beijing.

Blinken made the comments in a press statement about an annual report submitted to the US Congress as part of the country's Hong Kong Policy Act, which was enacted in 1992. The act gives Washington discretion to treat the city separately from mainland China in areas such as trade and economic engagement.

Wang added that the US had "also seriously violated the principles of international law and the basic norms of international relations".

"If the US imposes visa restrictions on Hong Kong officials, China will resolutely counter-attack," he warned.

Wang said the report smeared the city's national security laws and electoral system, as well as its "democracy, rule of law, human rights and freedoms".

He urged the US to understand the "one country, two systems" governing principle, adding that Washington should respect China's sovereignty and Hong Kong's rule of law.

Blinken said on Friday that the new domestic national security law had "broad and vaguely defined provisions regarding 'sedition', 'state secrets', and interactions with foreign entities", which he claimed could be used to eliminate dissent inside and outside the city as part of what he called China's "ongoing campaign of transnational repression".

Washington-funded Radio Free Asia quits Hong Kong, citing staff safety concerns

In a report published that day, the US State Department said Beijing had taken "new actions that directly threaten US interests in Hong Kong" and Americans living in the city faced "heightened risk of arrest, detention, expulsion or prosecution" if they publicly criticised China.

The Safeguarding National Security Ordinance took effect on March 23, fulfilling Hong Kong's obligations under Article 23 of the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

Hong Kong authorities earlier also condemned the US for "untruthful remarks, slanders and smears", as well as its "political attacks".

On Monday, pro-Beijing representatives staged a protest outside the US consulate in Hong Kong to oppose the potential visa restrictions.

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

Copyright (c) 2024. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.

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Oil demand growing at a slower pace as post-Covid rebound runs its course

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IEA (2024), Oil demand growing at a slower pace as post-Covid rebound runs its course , IEA, Paris https://www.iea.org/commentaries/oil-demand-growing-at-a-slower-pace-as-post-covid-rebound-runs-its-course, Licence: CC BY 4.0

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Global oil demand growth returns to historical trend

Global oil demand growth is currently in the midst of a slowdown and is expected to ease to 1.2 million barrels a day (mb/d) this year and 1.1 mb/d in 2025 – bringing a peak in consumption into view this decade. This is primarily the result of a normalisation of growth following the disruptions of 2020-2023, when oil markets were shaken by the Covid-19 pandemic and then the global energy crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Despite the deceleration that is forecast, this level of oil demand growth remains largely in line with the pre-Covid trend, even amid muted expectations for global economic growth this year and increased deployment of clean energy technologies.

Annual oil demand growth, 2011-2025

In both 2022 and 2023, global oil consumption rose by more than 2 mb/d as economies continued their recoveries from the Covid-19 shock and saw spikes in personal mobility, along with exceptional releases of pent-up demand for travel and tourism. While there are reasonable grounds for uncertainty about how complete the global recovery is, both oil demand data and mobility indicators suggest that its pace has slowed sharply and that the period of demand growth above the historical average is coming to an end.

China’s post-Covid rebound is running out of steam

Without a steep fall in oil prices, a sudden resurgence in the post-pandemic recovery or an acceleration in economic activity, it is unlikely that global oil demand growth will approach the levels seen in 2022 and 2023. Indeed, the pace of gains slowed substantially in the second half of 2023, and the latest data shows that the trend continued at the beginning of 2024.

Oil use increased by an estimated 1.6 mb/d year-on-year in the first quarter of 2024, down from 1.9 mb/d in the fourth quarter of 2023 and more than 3 mb/d during the middle of last year. Given that China was the last major economy to lift public health restrictions related to the pandemic and saw an abrupt economic recovery in mid-2023, this easing of year-on-year demand growth is likely to continue during 2024.

Quarterly oil demand growth, 2022-2025

Indeed, because the timing of Chinese lockdowns was quite different from the rest of the world, global oil demand growth in 2023 was extremely dependent on the country. With the explosive phase of the pandemic rebound largely complete elsewhere, China contributed to more than three-quarters of the global increase in demand (1.7 mb/d out of 2.3 mb/d). The world’s second largest economy will remain the mainstay of global expansion this year. However, gains are projected to fall to 540 kb/d. In the absence of a dramatic acceleration in other countries, this will result in a wider global slowdown.

In the decade up to 2023, almost two-thirds of all oil demand growth came from China. Over this period, the nation’s GDP grew at an annual average rate of 6%. An expected slackening in economic growth, to a rate of between 4% and 5% in 2024 and 2025 – combined with the rapid domestic uptake of oil-substituting technologies such as electric vehicles (EVs) and high-speed rail – means that in 2024 and 2025, only a little over one-third of oil demand growth is expected to come from China.

Demand for aviation fuel is easing as air traffic stabilises

The other major driver of rising oil consumption in 2022 and 2023 was a steady recovery in air traffic as pandemic-era travel restrictions were relaxed. Demand for jet fuel/kerosene, primarily from the aviation sector, grew by more than 1 mb/d in both years and contributed almost half of the increase in global oil demand.

However, gains have moderated since the first half of 2023, according to Airportia data. As a result, the increase in demand for jet fuel/kerosene in 2024 is forecast to be far smaller, at 230 kb/d. In addition to a stabilisation in air traffic, there have also been large gains in the fuel efficiency of aircraft since 2019. This has meant that, despite roughly equivalent activity, fuel demand from the sector was more than 6% lower in the second half of 2023 than in the same period in 2019. This trend is set to continue as more new planes with vastly improved fuel economy enter the global fleet, helping to restrain the impact of increasing demand for air travel on oil use during the medium term.

Demand for jet fuel/kerosene lags global miles flown as aircraft fuel efficiency improves

Global consumption of oil is set to peak, but its centrality remains.

While we expect growth in oil consumption in 2024 (1.2 mb/d) and 2025 (1.1 mb/d) to remain robust by historical standards, structural factors will lead to a gradual easing of oil demand growth over the rest of this decade. Continued rapid gains in the market share of EVs, particularly in China; steady improvements in vehicle fuel economies; and, notably, efforts by Middle Eastern economies, especially Saudi Arabia, to reduce the quantity of oil used in power generation are together expected to generate an overall peak in demand by the turn of the decade.

Oil remains extremely important to the global economy, and across some of its key applications, alternatives still cannot easily be substituted. In the absence of additional energy and climate policies and an increased investment push into clean energy technologies, the decline in global oil demand following the peak will not be a steep one, leaving demand close to current levels for some time. Nevertheless, cooling Chinese demand growth and considerable progress on the deployment of clean energy transition technologies mean that the oil market is set to enter a new and consequential period of transformation.

Oil Market Report - April 2024

The IEA Oil Market Report (OMR) is one of the world's most authoritative and timely sources of data, forecasts and analysis on the global oil market – including detailed statistics and commentary on oil supply, demand, inventories, prices and refining activity, as well as oil trade for IEA and selected non-IEA countries.

Fuel report — April 2024

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Biden’s Trade Moves Raise Tensions Abroad but Draw Cheers in Swing States

The president’s efforts to restrict Chinese imports and block a Japanese steel merger have pleased labor unions and sent a message to rival Donald J. Trump.

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By Jim Tankersley

Jim Tankersley covers economic policy at the White House and reported from Washington.

President Biden has intensified efforts to shield American industries from foreign competition in an election year, as he courts blue-collar workers and attempts to avoid being outflanked on trade by his Republican rival, former President Donald J. Trump.

The moves have strained Mr. Biden’s relationships with international allies and rivals alike, drawing charges of protectionism from diplomats and some economists, including top Chinese officials during Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen’s recent trip to Beijing.

But the measures have cheered labor unions, environmental groups and other key members of Mr. Biden’s political support base, particularly in the swing states of the industrial Midwest.

Mr. Biden and his administration have recently signaled they are preparing new tariffs and other measures to block cheap electric vehicles and other clean-energy imports from China. Those efforts, combined with new limits on American investment in China, restrictions on exports of advanced technology and subsidies for the U.S. semiconductor industry, fueled major tensions during Ms. Yellen’s visit.

Hours after she concluded a news conference in Beijing, the Biden administration announced that it would provide up to $6.6 billion in grants to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the leading maker of the most advanced microchips, in an effort to bring some of the most cutting-edge semiconductor technology to the United States. The administration has been doling out billions of dollars to semiconductor companies as it looks to reduce its reliance on China for critical microchips.

The president has also announced opposition to Japanese steel-maker Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of the iconic domestic manufacturer U.S. Steel, saying that U.S. Steel should be domestically owned and that he “told our steelworkers I have their backs, and I meant it.”

His position is creating an economic rift with a crucial ally and is likely to be a focus of discussion when the Japanese prime minister, Fumio Kishida, visits the White House this week for a meeting with the president and a state dinner on Wednesday.

Mr. Biden’s industrial policies, including his subsidies for technologies meant to reduce the fossil fuel emissions driving global warming, continue to rankle some leaders in Europe as well. Some of the moves have drawn internal opposition from Mr. Biden’s economic team and from outside economists who warn they are reducing the incentives for foreign companies to inject much-needed investment in the U.S. economy.

The politics behind Mr. Biden’s strategy appears clear: When it comes to manufacturing, the president wants to leave no doubt that he is as much “America First” as Mr. Trump, if not more.

America’s trading partners “are looking at November and thinking, which is the worse outcome?” said Inu Manak, a fellow for trade policy at the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington, who wrote a scathing critique of Mr. Biden’s trade and industrial policies earlier this year. “And it’s the worse outcome, on the economic side, of not-too-great outcomes.”

Still, the moves appear to have helped Mr. Biden secure a coveted endorsement from the United Steelworkers union ahead of the November election. The union cited Mr. Biden’s infrastructure bill and other economic legislation, including Buy America provisions, in its endorsement, along with a broader declaration that the president “is promoting domestic manufacturing and widespread prosperity, not just in the short term but well into the future.”

Mr. Trump attacked China and promised to revitalize American factories on his way to the White House in 2016. In office, he imposed tariffs on more than $300 billion of Chinese imports and restrictions on some American technology transfers to China. As he attempts a presidential comeback, Mr. Trump is calling for a sweeping new across-the-board tariff and a much greater “decoupling” of the American trade relationship with China.

Mr. Biden has not gone that far, though he has retained many of Mr. Trump’s tariffs and added new limits on the export of certain high-tech American semiconductors to China. In official economic publications, Mr. Biden’s aides take a more nuanced view of trade than Mr. Trump espouses.

“There are well-documented gains from trade and cross-border investment flows,” Mr. Biden’s team wrote in the annual Economic Report of the President, released last month. “The benefits of global integration include lower inflation, a greater variety of goods and services, more innovation, higher productivity, good jobs for American workers in exporting sectors, foreign direct investment in U.S. industries, and a higher likelihood of achieving our climate goals.”

But, the Biden economists went on to warn, “policymakers must continue to pay careful attention to negative effects associated with global integration and some trade policies” — most notably, lost jobs and other damage to American workers.

Ms. Yellen raised such concerns with Chinese officials in recent days. The Biden administration is worried that Beijing is purposely flooding global markets with cheap and heavily subsidized green technologies, like electric vehicles and solar panels.

“We’ve seen this story before,” Ms. Yellen said in a news conference near the end of the trip, noting that Chinese government support a decade ago “led to below-cost Chinese steel that flooded the global market and decimated industries across the world and in the United States.”

“I’ve made clear that President Biden and I will not accept that reality again,” she added.

Chinese officials accused the Biden administration of protectionism. An official readout of Ms. Yellen’s meeting with Premier Li Qiang in Beijing stated “China hopes that the U.S. side will work with the Chinese side to adhere to the basic norms of market economy of fair competition and open cooperation, and refrain from politicizing and national-securitizing economic and trade issues.”

Mr. Biden has also risked antagonizing Japanese officials by declaring last month that it was “vital” that Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel remain “domestically owned and operated.”

U.S. officials are reviewing the merger on national security and antitrust grounds. It has been encouraged to do so by the steelworkers union, by environmental groups worried about high emissions from the merged companies and by a bipartisan group of senators who predominantly hail from industrial states.

One of those critics, Senator Sherrod Brown, Democrat of Ohio, is facing a tough re-election fight. He wrote Mr. Biden this month to request an investigation of Nippon’s ties to China’s steel industry. “This deal is bad for American workers and bad for our economic and national security,” Mr. Brown wrote.

Nippon and U.S. Steel officials are publicly staring Mr. Biden down, pushing forward with a shareholder vote on the merger this week and running digital ads in Pennsylvania highlighting the billions of dollars Nippon plans to invest in American production. Nippon has hired a prominent Washington lobbying firm, Akin Gump. Perhaps most important, it is attempting to negotiate peace with the steelworkers union, which has sharply criticized the proposal.

“We will continue to advocate for this deal, and we are confident that a fair and thoughtful evaluation will result in its approval,” the companies said in a joint statement. “Nippon Steel’s investment is the best path forward for U.S. Steel employees, customers, stockholders, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the United States.”

Japanese officials appear surprised and upset by Mr. Biden’s comments and the prospect that the president could scuttle the merger.

“For the United States to say that a Japanese company investing in an American manufacturing firm constitutes a threat to American national security is strange and troubling,” said Michael R. Strain, an economist at the conservative American Enterprise Institute, who discussed the merger this week with Japanese officials.

“My sense is that the election year timing of this is significant,” Mr. Strain said. “It seems this is more about wanting to show support for the manufacturing sector in a swing state, and less about actual security concerns.”

Biden administration officials have played down the importance of the merger in the bilateral meeting set for Wednesday, saying it is one of many agenda items for the heads of state, including security concerns with China and North Korea and deepened cooperation with South Korea.

“There is an awful lot of important things to talk about with Prime Minister Kishida,” John Kirby, the White House national security communications adviser, told reporters last week. “Certainly, our two economies are on that agenda, and I have no question that issues of economic — economy and trade will come up.”

Alan Rappeport contributed reporting from Beijing.

Jim Tankersley writes about economic policy at the White House and how it affects the country and the world. He has covered the topic for more than a dozen years in Washington, with a focus on the middle class. More about Jim Tankersley