COVID-19 Policy: China is currently following a zero COVID-19 policy and imposed a mandatory 14- day quarantine for inbound passengers. The country is also known to have locked down its major areas.
As per the latest development in international COVID-19 policy, United States has pressurized China to loosen its policy for COVID-19 quarantine for the entry of diplomats in the country. It all happened after Beijing accused Washington trying to sabotage Winter Olympics.
Currently China is known to have been pursuing a zero tolerant policy against COVID-19. The country has therefore imposed a mandatory 14 day quarantine for all inbound passengers. In doing so, the country has locked down some of its major areas.
Ned Price who’s appointed as the State Department spokesman stated that the US has entered its discussions with China over issues like testing and quarantine policy that specifically “run counter to diplomatic privileges and immunities”.
US Asks China to Loosen COVID-19 Policy for Diplomats
This is what Price told to the media reporters, “We’ve recommended what we think are a series of reasonable options that we would be consistent with COVID-19 mitigation measures and at the same time align with international diplomatic norms,” he said.
He further stated that there is not going to be any change in the operating status of the embassy in Beijing despite the concerns.
China’s Global Times had earlier had called their country to be the safest place in the world. They called so against any employees or families leaving the country.
Such a departure “only serves to create panic, slander China’s anti-epidemic work and disrupt China’s successful hosting of the Winter Olympics”, it said
In addition to the above, China also told the US to stop “interfering” in the Olympics. It happened during a phone call between the Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Earlier, US has announced that the country will simply boycott the Games opening Feb 4 due to human rights concerns.
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