China to issue tourist passports in huge move away from COVID restrictions – as Hong Kong scraps quarantine rule

China is preparing to issue ordinary passports and visas in a huge step away from COVID measures that have isolated the country for nearly three years – as Hong Kong announced people who test positive for coronavirus will no longer have to quarantine.

Beijing’s announcement means millions of Chinese people could go abroad for next month’s Lunar New Year holiday.

This presents the danger they could spread coronavirus as infections surge in the country.

Japan, India and Taiwan responded to China’s surge in infections by requiring virus tests for travellers from the country.

US officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Washington is considering taking similar steps.

China’s rolling back of some of the world’s strictest anti-virus controls comes as President Xi Jinping’s government tries to reverse an economic slump.

Rules that confined millions of people to their homes kept China’s infection rate low but fuelled public demonstrations and crushed economic growth.

China stopped issuing visas to foreigners and passports to its own people at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020.

The National Immigration Administration of China said it will start taking applications on 8 January for passports for tourists to go abroad.

It also said it will resume issuing approval for tourists and businesspeople to visit Hong Kong, a Chinese territory with its own border controls.

The agency said it will take applications for ordinary visas and residence permits.

It said the government will “gradually resume” allowing in foreign visitors but gave no indication when full-scale tourist travel from abroad might be allowed.

Health experts and economists expected the ruling Communist Party to keep restrictions on travel into China until at least mid-2023 while it carries out a campaign to vaccinate millions of elderly people.

Experts say that is necessary to prevent a public health crisis.

During the pandemic, Chinese with family emergencies or whose work travel was deemed important could obtain passports, but some students and businesspeople with visas to go to foreign countries were blocked by border guards from leaving. The handful of foreign businesspeople and others who were allowed into China were quarantined for up to one week.

Before the pandemic, China was the biggest source of foreign tourists for most of its Asian neighbours and an important market for Europe and the United States.

The government has dropped or eased most quarantine, testing and other restrictions within China, joining the United States, Japan and other governments in trying to live with the virus instead of stamping out transmission.

On Monday, the government said it would scrap quarantine requirements for travellers arriving from abroad, also effective from 8 January.

Foreign companies welcomed the change as an important step to revive slumping business activity.

Business groups have warned global companies were shifting investment away from China because foreign executives were blocked from visiting.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong is scrapping all social distancing measures except the mandatory mask rule.

Hong Kong’s chief executive John Lee also said close contacts of COVID patients will not have to quarantine and group gatherings will be allowed in public places.

Mr Lee added that international travellers to Hong Kong will no longer need to do a mandatory PCR COVID-19 test and the city’s vaccine pass required to enter most venues will also be scrapped.

The lifting of measures will be effective from 29 December.

The Hong Kong government has confirmed it will not provide COVID vaccination to short term visitors to the territory.