After 'decisive Covid victory', China reopens borders to tourists

Since abandoning Covid Zero, Communist Party has been prioritising a return to strong growth, with China's new Premier Li Qiang calling for more effort to meet a 5 per cent expansion target for 2023

China will reopen its borders to foreign tourists for the first time in the three years since the Covid-19 pandemic erupted by allowing all categories of visas to be issued from Wednesday. The removal of this last cross-border control measure imposed to guard against Covid-19 comes after authorities last month declared “decisive victory” over the virus.

Since abandoning Covid Zero, the Communist Party has been prioritising a return to strong growth, with China’s new Premier Li Qiang calling for more effort to meet a 5 per cent expansion target for 2023 at a meeting of the national legislature this week.