Travel restrictions eased in China over holiday period

China’s post-Covid-19 recovery shows positive results. During the five-day Labour Day holiday, the country recorded around 50 million tourist trips on Friday and Saturday alone, providing some welcome relief to China’s tourism industry.

Last week, the government also announced the date for the Two Sessions (Liang Hui), which will take place in Beijing, starting on 21 May. During the event, which was initially scheduled for 5 March, almost 5000 delegates from all over the country will convene in China’s capital to pass major legislation and set the economic growth target for the current year, and possibly next year too. The announcement sends a strong signal indicating that the Chinese leadership has the virus outbreak firmly under control.

Following the announcement, China has also begun to ease restrictions on foreign and domestic travel. Thus Chinese travellers, who have not been to any high-risk area (e.g Wuhan or Harbin), can now skip the 14-day self-quarantine.

China has also established a green channel for business travellers from South Korea. In response to a request from the European Chamber of Commerce, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed that Green Card holders can freely enter the country and that special arrangements apply to urgent business travels or humanitarian visits.

Schools, too, continue their gradual re-opening. In Chongqing, for example, high schools are now completely open, and, since last Monday, grades 4 to 6 of primary schools have also resumed classes. On 7th May, the remaining grades will return, and universities and colleges will open their doors on 11th May.
 
Nonetheless, a sluggish retail sector and dropping orders for China’s large export industry give some concern. A lot will depend on the successful implementation of anti-epidemic control measures and increased government spending, which could further boost consumer confidence and create new drivers for economic growth.