Japan and South Korea defended public health restrictions on travelers from China, a day after China stopped issuing new visas in both countries in apparent retaliation.
Tokyo protested and demanded China scrap the measures and that Japan will “respond appropriately while closely watching China’s infection situation and how information disclosures are handled by the Chinese side,” Matsuno said.
The Chinese embassies in Tokyo and Seoul announced the suspensions in brief online notices, without providing reasons or details such as when visa issuances will resume. China’s worsening COVID-19 situation and lack of information mean that South Korea may need to extend restrictions, senior Disease Control and Prevention Agency official Lim Sook-young told a briefing. “Just because we haven’t seen the emergence of a new variant doesn’t necessarily mean we won’t see one later,” she said.
Withholding of visas from South Korean or Japanese businesspeople could delay commercial activity and potential new investment.South Korea’s Ministry of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises and Startups on Wednesday opened telephone lines for small businesses to report any disruption caused by China’s decision to halt short-term visas.
A South Korean restaurant owner in Beijing said the announcement forced friends to postpone plans to visit China. He spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern his business might be affected. He added that he is preparing to renew his Chinese work visa and doesn’t know whether that will be affected.China’s move appeared to be grounded in its strict view of reciprocity, and demands that its citizens be treated the same as those of other countries.
Once-cordial ties between South Korea and China, its biggest trading partner, soured in recent years after Beijing targeted businesses, sports teams and even K-pop groups to protest deployment of an advanced U.S. anti-missile system in South Korea.
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