Beijing’s move to resume outbound tourism on Jan. 8 amid a nationwide COVID-19 outbreak has sparked criticism among Japanese citizens. Some have condemned the move, calling it “irresponsible” and “immoral behavior.” All quarantine requirements for inbound travelers to China will end as soon as Jan. 8, China’s National Health Commission said on Dec. 26.
The cap on the number of international flights coming in and out of China will be scrapped, and outbound tourism, which plummeted to almost zero during the pandemic, will resume in “an orderly manner.” Within minutes after the announcement, searches for international flight tickets on Chinese online travel agencies and searches for visas to go abroad increased severalfold, with top destinations being Japan, South Korea, and Thailand.
The most searched destinations for outbound flights are mainly Bangkok, Tokyo, Seoul, Los Angeles, and Singapore, according to the state-run China Daily. Tokyo resident Mizobe Hgasi told The Epoch Times on Dec. 31 that the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) unchecked reopening of international travel was “terrible” and demonstrated “immoral behavior.” He said the move was similar to Beijing intentionally covering up information and allowing the virus to spread from Wuhan city to the rest world from late 2019 to early 2020.