Japan to scrap virus tests on arrival from China

Japan will stop testing travelers arriving from mainland China for the coronavirus, the government said Monday, April 3, ending a COVID-19 policy previously slammed as "discriminatory" by Beijing.

From Wednesday, April 5, arrivals from China will have to show proof of vaccination or a negative result obtained before departure—"just the same as all the other travelers and returnees," a government statement said.

The decision brings to an end a spat over Covid border measures which began in January.

Then, more than a dozen countries imposed new travel rules as infections surged in China, which had just relaxed its strict zero-Covid policies.

In a tit-for-tat move, China suspended issuing short-term visas to Japanese citizens, with the Chinese foreign ministry hitting out against "discriminatory practices."

It resumed issuing visas to Japanese citizens in late January, but Japan kept its testing-on-arrival requirement for China.

Chinese tourists made up around a third of all visitors to Japan before the pandemic.

Last week, Britain also said travelers flying in from China would no longer need proof of a negative test from April 5. (AFP)