Travelers walk through Beijing, China Daxing International Airport, China on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.
Yan Cong | Bloomberg | Getty Images
China facilitates entry into the country of foreigners who have been inoculated with coronavirus vaccines made in China after closing its borders to travel internationally more than a year ago due to Covid-19.
Several Chinese embassies around the world, including those in the United States, United Kingdom, India, Israel and the Philippines: On Monday they issued warnings explaining how foreigners can apply for visas to enter China.
But the instructions only apply to those who have been completely vaccinated using Covid-19 vaccines made in China and who have the vaccination certificate to prove it.
To be clear, people with a valid residence permit can enter China without new visas. Those who do not have a Chinese vaccine can also apply for visas, but will need stronger reasons or specific documents to meet the requirements.
Vaccine nationalism is a possibility that cannot be ruled out if there are no further explanations.
Chong Ja Ian
Associate Professor of Political Science
Chong Ja Ian, an associate professor of political science at Singapore National University, discussed possible reasons for China’s move.
“Vaccine nationalism is a possibility that cannot be ruled out if there are no further explanations,” he told CNBC in an email.
Chong also said some observers suggest that this is a way for China to get more use and recognition of its vaccines or for countries to approve their vaccines more quickly.
China has developed five vaccines and 34 countries have approved at least one Chinese vaccine, according to CNBC calculations based on a Covid-19 vaccine monitoring site.
By comparison, the Pfizer-BioNTech trait has been approved for 72 countries, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved in 74 countries.
Chinese vaccines have had some skepticism, as the information is less easy compared to those produced by Western pharmaceutical companies.
Covid-19 was first reported in China, in the city of Wuhan, before it spread to the rest of the world. The coronavirus is mainly controlled in China now, but the country’s borders have remained largely closed to foreigners.
Entry requirements
News from each embassy differs in terms of wording, but in general, foreigners from certain countries who have been fully vaccinated with Chinese vaccines require fewer documents to apply for visas. They are also allowed to enter the country for more reasons, although tourism is not one of them.
For example, the Chinese embassy in the UK said those applying to enter for business reasons will no longer have to submit an invitation letter from provincial governments or trade departments. Those who do not have a Chinese vaccine will still have to submit an invitation letter in order to apply for it, according to the visa requirements announced in November.
China also expanded the scope of those eligible to apply for a visa for humanitarian purposes. Those in the UK who want to enter the country to reunite with family can now apply if they have taken Chinese shots.
Without the Chinese vaccine, foreigners in the UK can only apply for entry if a family member is in critical condition and needs care, or if he or she needed to arrange funeral matters in China.
The country’s quarantine measures of up to 21 days still apply when relevant and negative Covid evidence is to be submitted. Applicants should wait 14 days after receiving a Chinese-made vaccine before seeking a visa to enter China.