Part 9/15:
In the wake of China’s reopening, many countries responded with travel restrictions—pre-departure testing, quarantine measures, and in some cases, outright bans. The United States, UK, Australia, Japan, and South Korea enacted testing and entry controls, fearing that China might become a breeding ground for new, potentially vaccine-escape variants.
China reacted strongly against these measures, deeming them discriminatory, and retaliated by halting visas for certain nations and imposing their own restrictions. The diplomatic spat underscores the geopolitical tensions intertwined with pandemic management.