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Japan and China welcomed the resumption of reciprocal business travel on Monday, with expectations that easing border controls and mandatory 14-day quarantine requirements will accelerate post-coronavirus recoveries in the second and third largest economies. great of the world.
“It occurs under difficult circumstances, but I hope that (the resumption of travel) will contribute to promoting human exchanges,” Japan’s Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said in a message read on an online forum attended by former former and current government officials and corporate executives of the country. two countries.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks in a video message during an online forum on November 30, 2020 (Kyodo).
Motegi’s Chinese counterpart Wang Yi said in a video message that the relaxation of travel restrictions “will accelerate the pace of resumption of companies’ manufacturing activities amid the pandemic and I believe it will provide important support to the recovery and development of (the Japanese and Chinese)) economies. “
The forum, which has been held annually since 2005, was organized by the Japanese non-profit think tank Genron NPO and China International Publishing Group. A meeting between Motegi and Wang on Tuesday followed in Tokyo, where they reached an agreement to resume business trips later this month.
Under the agreement, Japan and China will allow businessmen on short-term visits to be exempt from the usual 14-day quarantine period upon arrival if they test negative for the coronavirus and send an itinerary of their activities in advance.
The agreement, which follows similar frameworks that Japan has entered into with Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam, came to fruition when the business community in Japan said the 14-day self-isolation requirement represents a barrier to conducting business in person in China.
However, for expats and other long-term residents, the 14-day quarantine requirement after arriving in the respective countries remains in effect.
China accounted for the largest number of foreign visitors to Japan in 2019, with around 9.59 million people arriving, including some 370,000 for business, according to data from the Japan National Tourism Organization.
The resumption comes amid a resurgence of coronavirus infections in Japan, fueling concerns that travel between the two countries could lead to further spread of the virus.
Japan on Saturday recorded a daily toll of 2,684 new coronavirus cases and 440 of those infected suffered severe symptoms, both record levels.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato told a news conference on Monday that experts have not blamed the recent easing of Japan’s internal border controls for increasing the number of infection cases in the country.
“For economic revitalization, international travel is indispensable,” Kato said. “We will consider ways to allow international travel while taking steps to prevent the spread of the virus by continuing to consult experts and monitor the national infection status.”
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