Those are perfectly logical thoughts I’m just not convinced that we live in a logical world right now. And I think China may capitalize on that and isolate itself and economically dominate for a bit. Do they really need foreigners flying in and out in the short term? I really don’t know. My company saw the writing on the wall and offered us these expat gigs knowing that international travel with China was going to be a problem for a long time.

Docs list for visa applications https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lYaTswuYYCTXCJO09EGR3Q

I think they will start to relax the rules within the next several months. During its strictest implementation, not only were people stuck in hotel rooms, but they weren't even allowed to order food from outside vendors. My own quarantine (over a year ago) was actually pretty chill. I wasn't allowed to go to work, but could otherwise roam freely.

Really? It seems to have evolved. When I did quarantine in Shanghai in October I couldn’t order food, but the only testing after the airport was a throat swab on the 12th or 13th day. Which frankly is not exactly a foolproof process.

Now the quarantine I’m currently in has an airport nasal swab, airport throat swab, and 4 different nasal swabs throughout quarantine. They also come take your temp for you instead of reporting it via wechat twice a day.

They do allow food ordering now but that was more of a logistics thing than a safety thing I bet.

If quarantine drops to 7 days or less that would be great but I don’t know if that’s really rooted in a scientific reason.

Could you elaborate why it is easier for Person A to get a visa? From the embassy announcement, it points to Chinese vaccine is required.

I was able to do my entire 14 days "at home", but the reality of "at home" was that I could go anywhere except for my office and buildings/malls that checked health codes (not many).

The next iteration of the policy was 7 days in a designated hotel ROOM with food delivered outside your door...followed by 7 days at home (with almost no monitoring).

Then, it was 14 days in a hotel room followed by 7 days at home.

Most of my friends who did the hotel drill loaded up on food at Costco (or similar) before they came back, and told me it wasn't that bad.

I'm hopeful that China will either send doctors to hotels to provide vaccines or permit foreign vaccines within the next several months. We'll just have to wait and see, but I think the powers that be know that the hotel drill isn't well regarded, and I believe they do care about our happiness to some extent.

It's very slightly easier (as of this announcement, assuming Person A wants to get a [second] Chinese vaccine) to apply for a visa now.
Prior to this announcement, the process is quite complicated with PU letters and a lot of extra steps.

In either case one is still at the discretion of the embassy whether they will actually give it to you.
And if Person A doesn't want to get a Chinese vaccine this announcement doesn't mean anything to them.

Thats interesting that it started out more relaxed, I didn�t know that. Wouldn�t have expected that.

If China does change quarantine policy for vaccinated foreigners, ill be scrambling for it. That would be a cherished moment. Til then I�ll wait it out.

I've noticed in China when a new rule is made, it'll only progressively get stricter and stricter, ill-regard to what's happening. Despite China's "success" in fighting COVID the rules around the nation is stricter, not easier. My friend in Chengdu told me that the new leadership decided to make stricter rules for Szechuan that made traveling in-and-out a bear.

I believe the local officials get punished if they have an outbreak in their neighborhood, district, city, or province. The incentive for them is to be very careful less they lose the golden ticket job and their kids lose access to their lambos and Ferraris. The change can only come from top down and with the economy humming despite the border being closed, I just don�t see them opening up anytime soon.

China isn't alone in tightening inbound quarantine measures. Australia and NZ both went through a similar process after closing their borders back in March 2020. As to tougher local policies, this is highly dependent on where you are.

True. NZ is even banning citizens from returning (after 17 positives out of 23 came from India) from India which is a step further than China Entry policy. Not the direction I am happy to see countries going.

The new variants are terrifying. I don't blame countries that have this under control from tightening rules further. Canada was doing fine until suddenly they weren't.

US and all other countries should simply reciprocate: no entry by Chinese citizens who don't have a visa issued after March 28, 2020. Only Chinese citizens with lawful permanent resident status OR a visa issued after March 28, 2020 allowed to enter the other country at all. If applying for a new visa, Chinese citizens required to be vaccinated with a US (or whatever relevant country we're talking about) approved vaccine before applying for new visa, etc.

Given the showcase importance of the Olympics, does FT believe that China will open up before Feb 2020?