China opposes discriminatory entry restrictions: spokesperson

BEIJING, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes some countries taking discriminatory entry restriction measures targeting China and will take reciprocal measures, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily news briefing when answering a relevant question that since China announced the decision to manage COVID-19 with measures against Class-B infectious diseases and adopted provisional measures on cross-border travel, many countries have expressed their welcome, but a few countries have announced entry restriction measures targeting travelers from China.

"With utmost sincerity, the Chinese side had fact-based communication with the countries concerned and elaborated on our science-based and reasonable COVID measures refinement and China's current COVID situation," he said.

Regrettably, a handful of countries, in disregard of science, facts and their actual epidemic situation, have insisted on taking discriminatory entry restriction measures targeting China, he said.

"We once again call on relevant countries to make sure that their COVID response measures are fact-based, science-based and proportionate," Wang said, adding that COVID response should not be used as a pretext for political manipulation.

COVID response should not be discriminatory and should not affect normal cross-border travel and people-to-people exchange and cooperation, he added.