China has forced COVID-19 anal tampons on all foreign travelers arriving in the country, according to a report.
The government has claimed that these tests provide a higher degree of accuracy than other methods of detecting the virus, the Times UK reported.
As part of the new travel requirement, there will be test centers at Beijing and Shanghai airports, the outlet reported.
Li Tongzeng, a doctor for respiratory illnesses, said anal swabs are better because traces of viruses remain longer in stool samples than in the nose or throat, state media reported.
The move comes after Japan asked China to stop conducting exams on its citizens when they enter the country because swabs cause mental distress.
“Some Japanese reported to our embassy in China that they received anal swab tests, which caused great psychological pain,” Katsunobu Kato, chief secretary of the Japanese cabinet, told a news conference.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin, however, defended the projections as “science-based.”
The evidence is “in accordance with changes in the epidemic situation, as well as with relevant laws and regulations,” he said.