Answers to optimizing management measures for Chinese and foreigner Exit-Entry policies.
At 3pm on January 13, the State Council’s Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism held a press conference to introduce the relevant information on optimizing the management measures for the movement of Chinese and foreign personnel. Liu Haitao, Director of the Department of Border Inspection and Management of the State Administration of Immigration attended the conference and responded to relevant questions.
On January 8, the State Immigration Administration implemented the policy measures to optimize the immigration management of the new coronavirus infection “Category B”, which has played a positive role in safeguarding and promoting the exchange of people between China and foreign countries, but we note that some countries have recently taken restrictive entry measures against Chinese citizens.
To smoothly and orderly manage the entry and exit of immigrants after the new coronavirus infection “Category B”, since January 8, 2023, the State Administration of Immigration has resumed the timely processing and approval of foreigners’ applications for the extension, replacement and reissue of ordinary visas, the issuance, replacement and reissue of stay permits. If applicants have urgent needs, they can follow the expedited procedures; resume the issuance of visas at ports of entry and resume the implementation of the 24/72/144-hour visa-free transit policy. At present, the above policy measures have been implemented smoothly and have been well received by all sectors of the community. Since the implementation of the new policy, 105,000 foreigners have entered and left the country, and 15,000 visa documents have been issued, an increase of 38.9% and 106% respectively compared to the period before the implementation of the new policy.
However, at the same time, after China released the general scheme of the new Coronavirus Infection Category B B Control and the provisional measures to optimise the movement of Chinese and foreigners, a few countries have taken excessive and discriminatory restrictive measures against the entry of Chinese citizens, to which we firmly oppose and have taken reciprocal measures. Since January 11, the national immigration authorities have suspended the issuance of visas for South Korean and Japanese citizens to enter the ports of entry in China and the implementation of 72/144-hour visa-free transit. We believe that the preventive and management measures of each country should be scientific and moderate, without discriminatory practices, and should not affect the normal flow of people and exchanges and cooperation between international countries.
China has always been open to the outside world and welcomes foreign friends to come to China to study and work in trade and commerce, scientific research, academic exchanges, innovation and entrepreneurship activities. The State Administration of Migration will adapt to the new expectations and needs of people entering and leaving China, provide the necessary facilities for foreigners to come to China, enter and leave the country and stop their residence, ensure the normal flow of people between China and abroad, and better serve to promote high-quality economic and social development.