China suspends travel visas from Japan and South Korea over Covid curbs
Beijing has suspended visa issuance for visitors from Japan and South Korea in its first retaliation against the flurry of Covid-19 entry restrictions introduced in recent weeks by governments against travellers from China.
The Chinese embassy in Seoul announced on Tuesday it had stopped issuing short-term visas for South Korean travellers after Beijing vowed to punish additional entry requirements on arrivals from China over the wave of infections spreading through the country.
In a notice posted to WeChat, the embassy said it would begin reissuing visas after South Korea ended its “discriminatory entry restrictions against China”.
Yet some countries have launched a charm offensive in an effort to lure Chinese tourists back to their shores after nearly three years of closed borders and interrupted travel.
This story originally appeared on: Financial Times - Author:Thomas Hale
