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THE Chinese government suspended issuing tourist and business visas today for South Koreans — and reportedly for the Japanese too — in apparent retaliation for Covid-19 testing requirements imposed by those countries on travellers from China.
The Chinese embassy in Seoul, in a brief notice on its WeChat social media account, said the ban would continue until South Korea lifts its “discriminatory entry measures” against China.
Japan’s Kyodo News service said the ban would also affect Japanese travellers, though there was no similar announcement from China.
A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said the government was aware of the report and was holding unofficial discussions with Chinese authorities about measures being considered by Beijing.
China’s Foreign Ministry threatened countermeasures last week against countries that had announced new virus testing requirements for travellers from China.
The Chinese announcement in South Korea appeared to apply only to new applicants, and said nothing about South Koreans currently holding visas.