Travelers walk through Beijing Daxing International Airport in Beijing, China on Tuesday, August 25, 2020.
Yan Cong | Bloomberg | Getty Images
China makes it easier for foreigners vaccinated with Chinese-made coronavirus vaccines to enter the country after closing its borders to international travel 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 – issued notices on Monday setting out how foreigners can apply for visas to enter China.
But the instructions only apply to those who have been fully vaccinated using Covid-19 vaccines manufactured in China and have the vaccination certificate to prove it.
To be clear, people with valid residence permits can enter China without new visas. Those without Chinese vaccinations can also apply for visas, but they will need stronger reasons or specific documents to meet the requirements.
Vaccine nationalism is a possibility that can not be ruled out, given the absence of further explanation.
Chong Ja Ian
Associate Professor of Political Science
Chong Ja Ian, associate professor of political science at the National University of Singapore, reflected on the possible reasons for China’s move.
“Vaccine nationalism is a possibility that cannot be ruled out as there is no further explanation,” he told CNBC in an email.
Chong also said that some observers suggest that this is a way for China to get more use and recognition of its vaccines, or to get countries to approve faster.
China has developed five vaccines, and 34 countries have approved at least one Chinese vaccine, according to CNBC’s calculations based on a Covid-19 detection site.
By comparison, the Pfizer BioNTech shot was approved by 72 countries, while the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine was approved in 74 countries.
The Chinese vaccines are skeptical because information is less readily available than that produced by Western pharmaceutical companies.
Covid-19 was first reported in China, in the city of Wuhan, before spreading to the rest of the world. The coronavirus is now mostly under control in China, but the country’s borders have largely remained closed to foreigners.
Admission requirements
The notice of each embassy differs in wording, but in general, foreigners from certain countries who have been fully vaccinated with Chinese vaccinations need fewer documents to apply for visas. They are also allowed into the country for several reasons, although tourism is not one of them.
The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom, for example, has said that those who apply to register for business purposes no longer need to submit an invitation letter from provincial governments or departments of commerce. Those who do not have a Chinese vaccine should still draw up an invitation letter to apply, based on the visa requirements announced in November.
China has also expanded the scope of those eligible for a humanitarian visa. Those from the UK who want to enter the country to reunite with family can now submit an application if they have taken the Chinese shots.
Without the Chinese vaccination, foreigners from the UK can only apply to enter if a family member is in critical condition and needs care, or if they need to arrange funeral arrangements in China.
The country’s quarantine measures of up to 21 days still apply where relevant and negative Covid tests must be presented. Applicants must wait 14 days after receiving a Chinese vaccine before applying for a visa to enter China.