BEIJING: The Chinese government is issuing visas to some Japanese visitors, including business travelers, although it announced last week that it would suspend visa issuance operations for Japan, diplomatic sources said Monday.

Under what criteria Chinese authorities approve visa applications is unknown, but there have been some cases in which applications were accepted after applicants individually made inquiries, according to the sources.

It is still difficult to make appointments via the website of the Chinese Visa Application Service Center in Tokyo.

On Tuesday, the Chinese government announced the suspension of visa issuance to Japanese and South Korean nationals, apparently in retaliation against the two countries’ strengthening of COVID-19 border controls against Chinese visitors.

China ended its “zero-COVID” policy last month and eliminated COVID-19 quarantine measures on arrival on Jan. 8.

As the novel coronavirus is raging in China now, other countries including Japan and South Korea, as well as the United States, have strengthened their border controls. But China criticizes the stricter controls as discriminatory.

Beijing has decided to suspend visa issuance to Japanese and South Korean nationals, apparently in consideration of frustration among Chinese people at the moves by Japan and South Korea.

At the same time, Beijing appears to be continuing to issue visas for business travelers and some others, in hopes to normalize business travel promptly as the zero-COVID policy has sacrificed the Chinese economy for nearly three years.

JIJI Press