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Travelers fill Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport on Jan. 11. (AFP/Yonhap)

In response to questions about why it has suspended the issuance of visas to South Korea and Japan while not acting against the US and Europe, China has stated that this response is “based on discrimination against China.”

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of China’s Foreign Ministry replied to a question he received in his regular press conference on Thursday as to why China hasn’t taken reciprocal measures against the US and some European countries that, like South Korea and Japan, have adopted restriction measures.

“We have made it clear that China has taken reciprocal measures in response to relevant countries’ actual discriminatory measures against China.”

They are arguing that China responded according to the measures of other countries, instead of differentiating responses by country.

This argument is half correct, and half wrong. There are around 15 countries that have recently imposed regulations on arrivals from China, including the European Union, and the intensity of regulations varies slightly from country to country.

Morocco took the strongest measure, by banning travelers from China, while South Korea took the next strongest measure, by stopping visa issuance.

Three countries, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, are implementing “full-scale post-entry investigations,” while other countries are going through less harsh measures such as “mandatory pre-entry inspections,” and “random post-entry investigations.”

Some say that Europe and the US are conducting random investigations instead of full-scale post entry investigations for the sake of efficiency but also because their inspection capabilities are lacking.

In conclusion, four countries — Morocco, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan — have taken relatively strong measures against China, but China has only retaliated against South Korea and Japan.

Of course, Japan strongly opposes this measure. Japan has not stopped issuing visas to China, but since China has done so to Japan, it cannot escape criticism saying that it has exceeded the level of “corresponding measures.”

Related questions were asked at a briefing by China’s Foreign Ministry on Wednesday. To a question from Japan’s Fuji TV asking why responses weren’t reciprocal in this case.

“We have pointed out many times that a handful of countries, in disregard of science and their actual epidemic situation, have insisted on taking discriminatory entry restriction measures against travelers arriving from China,” responded Wang. “China responded to certain countries’ discriminatory action with reciprocal measures. This is to protect our fellow citizens’ legitimate rights and interests and make sure the environment is suitable for normal exchange and cooperation between countries, which is fair and legitimate.”

Yet the at-length response failed to answer the original question of whether the measures taken by China were, in fact, reciprocal.

“It was regrettable that China’s suspension of visa issuance was restricted for measures not related to COVID-19,” stated Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Wednesday.

On Thursday, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper interpreted that this happened because the Chinese government was “putting face over the economy.”

In such circumstances, it will not be easy for China to immediately strengthen measures such as suspending visa issuance to the US and European countries. It can mimic the measures taken up by those countries, such as the “mandatory pre-entry inspections,” and “random post-entry investigations,” but China is already applying “mandatory testing 48 hours pre-entry” to all overseas arrivals.

They may be able to add “random post-entry investigations,” but that is not as significant as a “corresponding” measure.

By Choi Hyun-june, Beijing correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]