China has new entry rules, but will they make travel easier?

China has introduced a new health declaration form for those entering or leaving the country, but officials have warned that the country’s strict border controls will remain in place.

As the rest of the world finds ways to live with the virus, the country remains committed to its zero-covid policy, but has announced it wants to make travel easier for some groups.

Here’s how things stand at the moment.

Is it easier to enter China than before?

The new regulations of the customs administration are designed to make the process more efficient, but do not imply any relaxation of the country’s protection and control requirements.

However, restrictions on overseas students have been eased. Holders of legal residence permits have been allowed to return home since Wednesday, and embassies have begun accepting student visa applications.

Two months ago, China began allowing foreigners with permanent residence permits or visiting close family to make short visits.

The process of applying for a work visa is made easy by making it easy to get an invitation letter.

Officials have also signaled they want to do more to bring business travelers into the country, and according to the Global Times, chartered commercial flights from India, Pakistan and South Korea have flown in over the past two months.

However, overseas tourists are still being kept out.

How has the process changed?

There is no real change. Travelers must take PCR tests before and after entering China, a customs spokesman said in a press release on Friday.

If asked by the local Chinese embassy to apply for a health code to use public transport and enter public places, they still need to provide their vaccination status.

Mainly, the new laws will simplify the process by reducing the number of forms required to enter the country and travelers will not need to provide all this information when filling out the customs form.

They can also authorize to take PCR tests online and no longer need to provide their correct address on the customs form.

What is the covid situation in China?

Sporadic outbreaks are occurring across the country, with lockdowns and movement restrictions introduced after a few cases.

Recently, some of the country’s most popular tourist destinations — Hainan Island and parts of Xinjiang and Tibet — were locked down — losing tens of thousands of travelers.

Mass temptations are still a normal feature of life. On Wednesday, millions of residents in the southwestern megacity of Chongqing had to queue in temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius to try.

Last week, nearly 10,000 positive cases were registered but no deaths were reported.

Is China ready to move on from zero-covid?

Using locks and bulk tests is not sustainable. Health officials have also warned that the country’s health system – which has a large divide in service delivery between rich and poor areas – risks being overwhelmed if the policy is abandoned.

Although more than 89% of the population received two doses of the vaccine, less than 60% of the population, and only 66% of those over 60, received a booster shot in early August.