China Suspends Visa Issuance for South Koreans and Japanese

Beijing retaliates against Seoul and Tokyo's entry curbs for Chinese travelers

China stopped issuing visas for visitors from South Korea and Japan on Tuesday, in a retaliatory move against neighbors that have stiffened entry restrictions on Chinese travelers due to a surge of COVID infections in the country.

"We firmly oppose discriminatory entry restrictions against China by a few countries, and we will take reciprocal measures," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters on Tuesday in a briefing.