The existing 14-day quarantine will be replaced by a seven plus three program consisting of one week of hotel quarantine plus three days of home observation. At least 12 people have been confirmed dead in Zhengzhou, the provincial capital, where more than 20 centimeters (7.8 inches) of rain fell in one hour on Tuesday, according to the meteorological observatory. Chinese history has seen many cycles of opening and turning inward. Did you encounter any technical issues? Fears among investors are growing over a debt crisis that has engulfed one of Chinas largest property developers. I do not think the government will have trouble reaching its targets for vaccination rates. China is in the opposite camp, along with South Korea and the Philippines. IN JUNE 2021 one of Chinas most respected scientists tentatively suggested that the country might want to begin relaxing its zero-covid policy in 2022. And if Hong Kong wants to reopen to the mainland, it may have to abide by a similar zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19. Here, Zhuang Pinghui and Simone McCarthy look into what it . 2023 Cable News Network. Copyright The Economist Newspaper Limited 2023. But hoping that mainland China will reopen its borders may ultimately leave Hong Kong effectively sealed off from the rest of the world for the foreseeable future. A combination of education, incentives, regular small outbreaks and the occasional rumour about future vaccine shortages is likely to suffice. Once he tested positive, his colleagues, close contacts and neighbours, and their contacts, numbering tens of thousands in all, were tested and quarantined where necessary. Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Mainland China is currently deploying measures like strict lockdowns while battling its own Delta-driven COVID-19 outbreaks, even as it has provided enough vaccine doses to inoculate two-thirds of its population. The reasons are many. People feel that they made hard sacrifices in 2020 in order to defeat Covid, and see no reason to be exposed to risks again. A Warner Bros. Editors Note: A version of this story appeared in CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world. The Covid-19 pandemic started in Chinas Hubei province, but early and strict lockdowns originally helped keep the virus under control. In recent weeks, Hong Kong has registered dozens of Delta-variant infections among travelers in its quarantine hotels, even as the city has not registered its own COVID-19 outbreak in months. For the newly qualified entrants, entry depends on having received two doses of Covid-19 vaccines at least 14 days prior to entry. Those foreign airlines allowed to operate limited flights into China are often running at 10% of pre-pandemic capacity. Meanwhile, mainland China has yet to approve any foreign vaccines, including the most effective ones that use mRNA gene technology. For many, the continued detention of the two Canadian Michaels will likely serve as a chilling reminder of the risks associated with visiting China, even after it reopens its borders to the world. Will, the China head of Asian Tigers, said that even though the relocation company's inbound business for foreigners decreased in 2021, its inbound business from Chinese returnees rose. 2023 Fortune Media IP Limited. The Winter Olympics start in and around Beijing in February, followed by the annual session of Chinas rubber-stamp parliament. Hong Kong closed its borders to non-residents in early 2020 at the start of the pandemic. Staying home is the best way to stem transmission. Their concerns include rules obliging all international arrivals, including children, to quarantine in a hotel for three weeks, and to enter an isolation clinic if they test positive. This spring several embassies debated whether China should become a hardship posting reserved for diplomats without dependents. But there are also political considerations. and relaxing . The city is now effectively stuck in limbo, backed into a corner by its own policies with no easy path out. But no foreign vaccines have been approved and its home-grown ones, including Sinopharm and Sinovac, are not very effective against Delta. Today (Saturday, 5 June 2021) the borders of China are fully open for 0/ 32 countries, partially open for 51/ 32 countries. But one city, arguably Asias biggest financial center, is absent from the list: Hong Kong. Copyright The Economist Newspaper Limited 2023. The Spaniard had apparently tested positive for antibodies, either as a result of having been vaccinated or after recovering from a bout of covid-19. Hong Kong has banned all noncitizens and nonresidents since the spring of 2020. On Monday, Hong Kong declared the U.S., France, and 14 other countries as high-risk for COVID-19, meaning that Hong Kong travelers from a total of 25 countries would now have to stay in 21-day mandatory hotel quarantines regardless of vaccination status. On Sunday, Zhong Nanshan, one of Chinas top epidemiologists and government advisers, suggested that the country may begin to loosen its COVID-zero restrictions by the end of the year and learn to live with the virusa potential change in tack for a country that has not budged from its mission to eliminate every single case of COVID-19 since the pandemic began. The economic costs of Chinas COVID-19 policies continue to mount with each new outbreak. The answers to these questions depends what country you are talking about. The plunge came after a Chinese court froze $20 million worth of bank deposits from Evergrande at the request of one of its creditors. Subscribe to Fortune Dailyto get essential business stories straight to your inbox each morning. Editors Note: A version of this story appeared in CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world. "If all goes smoothly at the border I'll plan on taking him down as much as I can. Listen to this article:37. . The index case was a port worker, who as a member of a high-risk group was tested every five days. Its many dynasties have left their marks in world-famous heritage sites, such as the Great Wall, the Terracotta Warriors of Xian, and ancient towns such as Lijiang. The government plans to achieve two negative tests from each person in the entire population of about 240,000 from the local Yantian region, before declaring the crisis over. Subscribe to Eastworld for insight on whats dominating business in Asia, delivered free to your inbox. Tough decisions will need to be made soon. Though a few of the countrys top scientists have cautiously questioned how long Chinas zero-covid policies may last, there are no signs the government is moving away from its position. As of May 20, travelers from the United States and Canada no longer have to take a PCR test seven days before flying to China. It is not clear how many people were trapped on the subway and rescue efforts remain ongoing across Zhengzhou, a city of 12.6 million on the banks of the Yellow River. The tricky part is that even when the population has been fully vaccinated, there is still the possibility of substantial Covid transmission chains, even if few get very sick. Share Your Design Ideas, New JerseysMurphy Defends $10 Billion Rainy Day Fund as States Economy Slows, This Week in Crypto: Ukraine War, Marathon Digital, FTX. For the newly qualified entrants . Beijing is planning to keep its pandemic border restrictions in place for at least another year as officials fret over the emergence of new variants and a calendar of sensitive events,. As a result, opening up could pose challenges to hospitals, especially in rural areas. The people who want to open up international travel expats, people with families abroad unfortunately, thats a minority. See how we collect data and find out why not all countries are included in the statistics. Terms & Conditions. If they change their mind, that will be a sign that the party is finally ready to abandon its zero-covid policy. FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. It has been about 2 years that foreign students cannot come to China, but there are still possibilities that C. Feel the need for speed? "China used to be a place that was exciting and wild. Foreign companies in favoured sectors can secure visas for executives, or for engineers who are needed to build advanced manufacturing sites that China wants. Updated Beyond that, specific details have not yet been spelled out. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. On the boundary with Canada, cross-border hockey rivalries were community traditions until being upended by the pandemic. This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Lams comments illustrate just how closely Hong Kongs government has tied its Covid strategy with China not surprising for a Chinese territory but a further sign of Hong Kongs deteriorating reputation as an international hub. International tourism, both inbound and outbound, has ground to a halt. This story has been updated to include Hong Kongs new quarantine rules formally announced late Tuesday evening. including those from China or Russia, will not be . Some foreign ministers have been admitted to China to meet their counterpart, Wang Yi, but only in provincial cities. But long before the warning, some Americans and other Westerners with long-lasting professional ties with China had already grown wary of visiting both mainland China and Hong Kong. As of Monday, China has fully vaccinated 74.8% of its population, while 82.5% of Chinese citizens have received at least one vaccine dose. Regional lockdowns have been imposed every time there are new outbreaks of the virus. As this border stretches more than 2000 kilometers, this But there's one condition: they need to have received a China-made Covid-19 vaccine. Outside the window, dark floodwater rips past, surging down the subway tracks. By. Beijing is planning to keep its pandemic border restrictions in place for at least another year as officials fret over the emergence of new variants and a calendar of sensitive events, according to people familiar with the matter, despite a coronavirus vaccination campaign that has topped one billion doses. CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. China's borders will likely remain shut for months, but some may be wary of visiting even after they reopen By Nectar Gan and Jessie Yeung, CNN Updated 2:39 AM EDT, Wed July 21, 2021 Link. By Sue-Lin Wong: Correspondent, The Economist. Travel Restrictions for U.S. Citizens Anecdote by anecdote, evidence is mounting that foreigners, whether suspected of bearing dangerous germs or ideas, are becoming less welcome. International schools are braced for a fresh exodus this summer, it is said, including of teachers who have not seen families outside China for more than a year. The Chinese government announced on May 31 it would allow married couples to have up to three children, instead of two. Today (Saturday, 5 June 2021) the borders of China are fully open for 0/ 32 countries, partially open for 51/ 32 countries. Travelers at Shenzhen Bay Immigration Control Point in Hong Kong on September 15. Kovrig, an NGO worker and former diplomat, and Spavor, a businessman with a focus on North Korea, were detained following the arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou in Vancouver. Locally made jabs have been given to two-fifths of the population, with assurances that they are highly effective. Your browser does not support the