European Union countries have agreed to phase out pre-departure COVID testing for travelers from China by the end of the month. China has welcomed the decision, indicating it will promote communications between China and the EU.
A statement released by the Swedish government confirmed that EU member states and Schengen Area countries have collectively agreed to drop pre-departure testing for arrivals from China at the end of February, marking the final step in a tit-for-tat restrictions game that has played out for years.
When China reopened its borders and eased its strict zero-COVID policies in January 8th, the EU initially failed to agree on a unified approach to incoming tourists. As concerns mounted about China’s suspected lack of transparency about the COVID outbreak, some countries ramped up their entry requirements to prevent its spread and the EU recommended introducing pre-departure testing.
Chinese media widely criticized that EU countries for “over reacting” at the time, noting that the COVID variant in China had already been spread in the EU.
But reassurances did little to implement policy, as countries engaged in a tit-for-tat exchange of entry restrictions, hampering the pick-up in outbound travel from China, despite it finally opening up to the world.
Now, negotiations appear to finally be bearing fruit, after Southeast Asian nations also dropped COVID testing requirements for Chinese visitors.
The move bodes well for increased outbound travel and tourism, with markets set to tap the pent-up demand of affluent Chinese tourists.
