China resumes issuing visas for Japanese citizens

TOKYO: The Chinese embassy in Tokyo announced Sunday that it would resume issuing visas to Japanese citizens.

The move ends a retaliatory step against Japan’s decision to require Covid testing for travellers arriving from mainland China, where the number of infections were surging.

“Starting today, the Embassy and the Offices of Consulates-General of the People’s Republic of China will resume issuing ordinary visas for Japanese citizens,” said a short online notice issued by the embassy without elaborating.

China stopped issuing visas to Japanese nationals from January 10 after Tokyo started requiring people arriving from the mainland to test before travel and upon landing.

Beijing called Tokyo’s move “discriminatory”, while Japan argued it was necessary given the spread of infections in China.