Feel free to msg me on Wechat (moondogsh), and I'll put you in touch with my agent about the government invite. If he can't arrange it himself, I'm guessing he knows someone who can. Be prepared to pay a bit of money for the letter itself because whoever issues it is putting themself on the line.

Thanks for the offer! I'm going to optimistically wait for things to change by summer, maybe reevaluate then... :)

All visas issued prior to March 26 2020 (except for certain RPs) have been suspended and cannot be used to enter China. You must obtain a new visa issued after that date to enter China.

https://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/wjbxw/t1761867.shtml

​​​​​gudugan mentioned that in post 570, and I was surprised because I assumed the travel health code system addressed the visa issue. Maybe their true goal is simply to make coming here difficult.

Pre-March 2020 visas are cancelled, new visas are almost impossible to get, all the consulates are closed to visitors and you can only process things via mail, the travel health code is indeed used by the Chinese missions abroad to make coming to China difficult, not just for foreigners but also for their own citizens. There are many stories of being unable to get the green code despite having everything lined up visa wise and stories of Chinese citizens being denied the code for spurious reasons.

Your advice about getting the visa and WP would have been useful in 2019 but it is just bad advice at the moment IMHO. I don't believe any dodgy agent is going to be giving out PU letters at the moment and there is no way you can bribe the guards at the quarantine facility to make your life easier in quarantine(I've been through this). Getting the Chinese vaccine doesn't mean they'll give you a visa either. Unless the poster has a current Residence Permit or works for Apple/Tencent/Goldman etc with a verified need to come to China then it's gonna be extremely hard to get a visa. Having a Residence Permit and leaving China doesn't necessarily guarantee they'll let you back in either (hence the travel code).

China has taken a "zero cases" policy when it comes to Covid, which is why they have recently increased the length of the quarantine in just about every province to 21 or 28 days. They use the travel health code, the ridiculously strict policies limiting flights into China and the quarantine measures to do everything they can to discourage people from coming here. Since they continue to maintain the "zero cases" as a goal, I don't see how any semi-normal business travel will be allowed for this year or next year. Tourism will likely not be allowed for at least a few more years. I just can't see them opening up in any meaningful way this year after all the measures they have taken to control the virus and all the warnings they have given their people about the deadly nature of Covid.

Whatever visa you get, coming to China means at the very least spending a half month in quarantine after arrival and that fact alone will turn off all but the most dedicated visitors.

My agent is far from dodgy. I didn't say that he could definitely line up PU letters. I simply said he would be a good person to ask.

Just to add to this point:
According to my current Visa application process, with no Chinese vaccination available, it appears it will be a requirement to be fully vaccinated with Pfizer, Moderna, etc. before travel to China, and then be vaccinated again with the Chinese vaccination on arrival (or soon thereafter).

Pfizer will presumably be okay with the Chinese after the licensing agreement is finalized.

The licensing agreement's been done for a while I think. It's the regulatory approval that's holding it up.

China's approval of mRNA vaccine 'in final stage'

Why do you think you need to take the Chinese vaccine once you arrive?


Im in China now (arrived in March) and will be traveling back to the states in august for a wedding. I’ll probably make the trip long enough to do the Pfizer regimen if it’s beneficial for some sort of travel. I have no inclination of needing/wanting the Sinovac before I leave China. And there’s nothing requiring any sort of vaccination for domestic activity in China either.

Assuming you are in a tier 1 or tier 2 city, you should be able to get two Pfizer doses in China before your trip.

Now that is some info I wasn’t expecting. That would be fantastic if it got me some kind of reduced quarantine on the way back or at least a guaranteed green code. I won’t hold my breath on the reduced quarantine deal.

Wait. Last time I read in Caixin, even Pfizer didn’t have Chinese EUA. Either a) they do now, or b) if you know someone?

I can’t believe (b) is feasible if not permitted by NHC - preparing Biontech for use requires quite a lot of gear.

I have a friend in Shanghai who says they can get Pfizer but it would be private and costs RMB 1000+.

This would make sense as Fosun (the Pharmaceutical Company partnering with BioNTech in China thus the vaccine is called Fosun-BioNTech instead of Pfizer-BioNTech) is headquarted in Shanghai.