China’s long-awaited reopening greeted with caution

IN THE first 18 months or so of the Covid pandemic, many countries around the world struggled to “flatten the curve” of infections, with the aim to keep hospitals from being overwhelmed, including imposing mass lockdowns and travel curbs. China, meanwhile, sought to keep cases as close to zero as possible – a strategy that it continued in 2022 with highly draconian measures, long after much of the rest of the (vaccinated) world had opened up. Hence when Beijing suddenly lifted Covid restrictions and announced the scrapping of quarantine for inbound travellers, the world was stunned and a bit nonplussed, about the prospect of the looming return of millions of Chinese tourists.

Concern has set in as China prepares to lift its border curbs from Jan 8. Even among China-friendly countries – many of which have been eagerly waiting for the eventual return of Chinese tourists to spur their economies – the mood is more cautious than euphoric. For many nations, life is beginning to return to pre-pandemic days. The last thing anyone wants is a potential global resurgence of the coronavirus or its new variants. So far, more than a dozen economies have announced new entry restrictions on arrivals from China. Italy was one of the first. In Milan, almost half of the passengers on two flights from China tested positive for Covid-19 last week. The United States and Britain are reintroducing compulsory pre-flight Covid-19 tests. Japan has also stepped up its border controls for travellers from China, while Morocco has banned entry to all arrivals from the country. But countries such as Singapore and Thailand are allowing direct flights and requiring few health controls. Loh Jiashen, an infectious disease specialist at Singapore’s Farrer Park Hospital, summed up the city-state’s stance: “Not imposing any restrictions on Chinese travellers coming to us is exactly the gesture of resilience that we have all worked so hard to achieve.”

China has condemned the new testing requirements as “discriminatory” and “unscientific” – but yet at the same time threatening tit-for-tat responses. In any case the lack of transparency around China’s Covid situation does not help its cause. With the easing of its zero Covid stance, there is now less testing done, and yet at the same time, a resurgence in Covid cases in the relatively under-vaccinated population. The country’s official Covid data hence do not reflect the actual state of public health affairs, what with Covid deaths having also been “redefined”.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has sought detailed, specific and real-time data from China’s scientists on how the virus has evolved, as well as information on vaccinations, hospitalisations and deaths. Such information sharing is necessary for WHO and the global community to make an informed, if not comprehensive, risk assessment of the Covid-19 situation in China. The data is also critical to identify any potential Covid variants, which would be in the overwhelming interests of China itself, and the international community.

Given its sizable macroeconomic role and impact, not least also as a critical player in the global supply chains, there is certainly great interest in and concern about China’s reopening at this juncture. And until there is greater certainty and confidence about the public health risks, it is no surprise that various countries have decided on their responses and control measures. There should be no imputing any politics in it all. Having pulled through the pandemic at great cost, most countries simply want to be safe than sorry.