Seems like the mainland is following HK's trajectory with cancelling circuit breakers and reducing quarantine from 10 to 8 days (7 is what HK did), so we may well see it drop to 3 in a few months' time.

I will go to China to visit my family under this quarantine restriction provided that China embassy issues me a visa, which is still impossible for the purpose of family reunion because I am a U.S. citizen.

Airlines also need to increase the number of flights to China so that inbound airfare will be more reasonsble.

HK is back to no quarantine. Going there, you just risk turning positive on one of the 11tests on arrival.

That said, I 100% agree with the rest of your post. Pre Covid, I was going to mainland once a month. And I did my fair share of Q during the past 2 years… but it’s 2022 now, soon 2023.

No way I’m putting myself through another week of Q and all the Chinese healthcare charade, no matters the business opportunities I pass on or the friends I miss…

I believe Q visas have been getting issued for a few months now, including for US citizens. Tourist visas (L) are not being issued, but single-entry Q visas can be obtained fairly easily.

There seems to be some disdain emanating from your posts in regards to China.
I am sure you have valid and sound reasons and experiences to bring you to your point of view.
I just don't share that sentiment, and look at this news favorably.

You always mention 10 vs. 8 days.
I am not so sure that is accurate though.
For Beijing, for instance, I needed 7+3+3 a few weeks ago. That ended up being 10 days in a quarantine hotel, then 3 days at home in my apartment in Beijing.
Total of 13 days.
With this new rule, I am expecting either 8+3, but more likely 5+3 depending on entry point, and then-current Beijing rules.
It could be 5 days in quarantine hotel, and 3 days at home; that would be 5 days less in a quarantine hotel, or exactly half!
To me it's 5 days [120 hours] instead of 10 days [240 hours] in a quarantine hotel + 3 days at home.

Still one of the last countries to enforce such strict rules, not disagreeing with you there, but it's a complex issue, and I am not so sure it can be easily solved.
My guess is, by the time I come back here in March/April 2023, it might be down to HK quarantine regulations...but who knows?

There has not been any change for the requirement of Q visa (see below).

5. For application of emergency humanitarian visa not specified in the above form, such as attending a funeral of an immediate family member or visiting an immediate family member in critical condition, the Basic Document is Death Certificate or a certificate of diagno sis/critical illness notice issued by a hospital.

What's stopping you from applying for a normal Q visa? At least one of the numerous articles that we were inundated with last week mentioned relaxed requirements for Q visas.

Moondog's right. Info from the Chinese consulate in LA says Q1 and Q2s can be applied for:

????????????2022?8?23????

Requirements don't seem onerous.

Now it seems Chinese embassies overseas will require only one test, not two, within 48 hours in order to get the green code for return flights.

The fact that they aren’t locking down GZ at this time is kind of showing they are trying a new way of managing Covid outbreaks. Shanghai was locked down by the time they reached the current GZ case count.

Not only that, but it looks like we *might* be able to use PCR tests from our own countries to get HDCs in transit countries. If true, this means we'll no longer need to choose between paying through the nose for 857 or slotting in 2 or 3 days in transit countries.

Yes, but the pre-application procedure will filter out a lot of applicants. Chinese embassy/consulates only issue Q2 visa for emergency humanitarian reasons unless a new policy allowing family reunion has recently been issued. I do not see this in any of US consulate websites. I have a ten-year Q visa, which was declared not suitable for travel to China during the pandemic. If the requirements are not onerous, Chinese embassy/consulate just re-stamps my Q visa. Why bothers to have pre-application and provides the same materials again?

Did you call or email your consulate? I believe they will issue you a new short term Q visa if you have a PU letter. My understanding is that pre 2020 L, F, M, Q, and X visas have been permanently cancelled.

This has been confirmed by the Chinese embassy in the US, with more to follow in the coming days I'm sure.

Have they actually canceled (as opposed to suspended) the old visas? I have not heard anything but it would be inviting a reciprocal move from any number of countries which would not be good. I thought their game plan was to run the clock as long as they could.

I believe everything is currently suspended. The theory is they might get unsuspended in the future. But who knows when that will be. By that time many visas may have expired. It is also possible that they may force everyone to reapply.
You are not allowed to have two visas, so if you apply for a new one now, your old one is cancelled. This was the policy before COVID too.