Beijing is planning to keep its pandemic border restrictions in place for at least another year as officials fret over the emergence of new variants and a calendar of sensitive events,. The party has several important events it does not want disrupted by covid-19 outbreaks. A Warner Bros. This means that all Hong Kong residentsexcept for those coming from mainland China, Macau, Taiwan, or New Zealandwill have to spend at least 14 days in quarantine upon arrival regardless of vaccination status. When will China open its borders to Hong Kong? Coronavirus in 2021 In August, analysts at Goldman Sachs, Nomura, and other banks downgraded Chinas GDP forecasts because of Delta-driven waves in places such as Guangzhou and elsewhere. Musk Made a Mess at Twitter. 4:25 AM EDT, Wed September 21, 2022. A combination of education, incentives, regular small outbreaks and the occasional rumour about future vaccine shortages is likely to suffice. . List of countries for which the borders with Estonia are partially or completely open: More than a year and a half after COVID-19 concerns prompted the U.S. to close its borders to international travelers from countries including Brazil, China, India, South Africa, the U.K. and much of Europe, restrictions are shifting to focus on vaccine status. Footage broadcast by state news agency Xinhua and shared widely online shows passengers in Zhengzhou trapped inside a flooded subway car, packed tightly together as the water climbs higher. Most foreigners have been kept out, and anyone who is able to get into the country must spend at least 14 days in strict hotel quarantine. We have made it very clear that our focus will be opening the border with the mainland. But even the largest such businesses struggle to obtain visas for the families of their expatriate staff. The change will have a profound effect on the borders with Mexico and Canada, where traveling back and forth was a way of life until the pandemic hit and the U.S. shut down nonessential travel. Only 36% of people over the age of 60 have gotten one dose, according to government data, which means that a Delta outbreak could prove deadly in Hong Kong. But its also thoroughly modern, with mushrooming cities and skyscrapers pricking the clouds. For which countries are the borders with China open? The reasons are many. When will China open its borders? The downgrade reflects Evergrandes weakened funding access and reduced liquidity buffer given its large debt maturities in the coming 12-18 months amid the tight credit environment in China and volatility in the capital markets, Cedric Lai, a vice president and senior analyst at Moodys, said in a statement at the time. Zhong did not say how quickly China may reopen once reaching the 80%85% vaccination coverage, but he estimated that at Chinas current pace, over 80% of the population would be fully vaccinated by the end of this year. China wants 80% of its population vaccinated by the end of 2021. At the news conference on Tuesday, Lam argued that many Hong Kong-based companies do business in the mainland, which made the border reopening critical to the economy. Zhongs comments suggest that Chinas government may be warming to the idea of learning to live with COVID, marking another shift in stance. Meanwhile, nationalistic sentiment, which was already rising in China prior to the pandemic, has reached new heights. Updated The new rules allow air travel from previously restricted countries as long as the traveler has proof of vaccination and a negative COVID-19 test. As a result, opening up could pose challenges to hospitals, especially in rural areas. When the virus does manage to seep into the country, Chinas government deploys neighborhood- or citywide lockdowns, mass testing, and intensive contact-tracing measures to find infections and halt outbreaks. Editors Note: A version of this story appeared in CNNs Meanwhile in China newsletter, a three-times-a-week update exploring what you need to know about the countrys rise and how it impacts the world. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of international students enrolled in Chinese universities have been barred from returning to the country, with many voicing frustrations on Twitter and tagging Chinese diplomats for help to no avail. All rights reserved. China is basically going to pursue the zero-tolerance strategy for the foreseeable future, which means Hong Kong can either go in opposition (and open internationally) or align with China.. 2023 Cable News Network. According to the World Health Organization, more than 40 countries have started vaccinating. His case suggests that China has no desire to reopen its borders anytime soon, says Thomas. Amid its COVID-19 vaccine rollout, in June Hong Kong announced that it would reduce hotel quarantine periods to seven days for fully vaccinated travelers, signaling that the city might have been on the way to reopening as an international travel hub. But long before the warning, some Americans and other Westerners with long-lasting professional ties with China had already grown wary of visiting both mainland China and Hong Kong. In order to open its borders, China will first have to vaccinate its population. People queue to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in Guangzhou in Guangdong province, China. [China border complete information] Chinese universities announced yesterday about international s. Powered and implemented by Interactive Data Managed Solutions. for insight on whats dominating business in Asia, delivered free to your inbox. Jul 17th 2021 I T IS BECOMING clear that China will not, or perhaps cannot, re-open its borders soon. Malls, restaurants and Main Street shops in U.S. border towns have been devastated by the lack of visitors from Mexico. This is the first in a series about China's plans to reopen its borders amid the Covid-19 pandemic. But if it continues on its current path, theres no telling when China will feel confident enough to reopen the border, or what criteria Hong Kong needs to meet leaving the city at the whim of the central government, simply waiting to be allowed in. But this approach has sowed growing discontent among the public, particularly foreign nationals, who make up nearly 10% of the citys 7.5 million population. The Covid-19 pandemic started in Chinas Hubei province, but early and strict lockdowns originally helped keep the virus under control. In March 2020, I wrote that life was returning to normal in China, but that other countries faced a longer wait. The American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong told CNN in September that an unprecedented number of expatriates have either left or are planning to leave. Im most concerned that we may end up with neither of these in the next 12 months, Cowling says. But there's one condition: they need to have received a China-made Covid-19 vaccine. How can the idea of a return to a normal state of affairs be articulated and realised by a state? The problem is that opening the borders is hard to reconcile with Chinese peoples expectations of zero Covid cases. A single case can lead to city-wide testing and lockdown. China sets loose timeline for easing strict 'COVID-zero' measures And if Hong Kong wants to reopen to the mainland, it may have to abide by a similar zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19. When will China open its borders to Denmark? Coronavirus in 2021: rules 2. Your browser does not support the