If you are reading this article, you may have come across many theories about Covid and bat soup causing it must have been one. I remember reading one (quite foolishly) titled “Bat Soup: The Initiator of The Covid Crises’.

Skeptics from all over the world have different views about the origins of coronavirus. After all, it plunged the world into isolation. Countries lost their economies, and millions of people died. All because of a virus that no one saw coming. But before we can assess the theories, let us start from the beginning:

The Early Days of the Covid Pandemic and Bat Soup

In the early days of the virus, the world was collectively holding its breath. The fear of the virus, as it was mostly unknown, was far too much. To make things worse, there was more division than ever before. I vividly recall that if you ordered something online, you would wash it in the sink before you used it.

Washing hands became a necessary practice (as if it was not before) and hand sanitizer sales skyrocketed. People were now more careful of their actions, travel, and interactions. However, despite precautions, Covid cases still rose.

Despite overwhelming evidence of a literal lethal virus, people were still in disbelief. People, typically conservatives, refused to take any precautions. The face mask mandate met fierce retaliation.

People didn’t want the government to tell them what what to do. It was about control– amidst the chaos. And they believed their government was imposing these rules on them by force. This resulted in countless casualties of this virus and, thus, more sorrow and misery. People began to view this as an outlet for their anger and resentment.

And who did they target? Asian people.

Overseas Anti-Asian Prejudice

The early days of the Covid pandemic saw more hate crimes directed toward people of Asian descent than before. It was a chaotic and hard time to be Asian overseas. The virus scared everyone. However, in my opinion, none were more scared than Asian people.

2021 reached a new boiling point. There was an explosion of hate crimes against Asian Americans. The severity of these crimes was so much that the POTUS had to sign a law to address a rising number of anti-Asian attacks. You cannot deny that there was the backing of racism behind these attacks.

For example, people in the US targeted Asian Americans verbally and physically. Moreover, there were rumors worldwide about how China and their “diet of animals like dogs, cats, snakes, and bats” caused the Covid virus, given its origin in Wuhan.

Bat Soup Attacks on Asian People

Before long, videos and pictures of people of Asian descent consuming bats with chopsticks started surfacing. These exploded with comments condemning these actions and linking bat soup and Covid together. Unfortunately, for the people of China and all Asian people, they became the target of this hate. The fact is that people living in the west needed a scapegoat.

Bat meat consumption is most common in Asia and the Pacific Islands. People have consumed bats in traditional medicine makes use of bats too. For example, in southern China, bat meat is served at restaurants. Bat soup is considered a delicacy in the Republic of Palau and Marianna Islands.

However, numerous sources prove that ‘bat soup’ did not perpetrate the Covid pandemic.

Covid and the Bat Soup Myth: The Infamous Bat Supermarket in Wuhan

According to a 2020 article, the outbreak stemmed from a wholesale meat market in Wuhan. The virus was found in the area where live animals were kept.

This doesn’t mean that the virus began in the market, though. It only means the market played a role in spreading the virus. In fact, a 2020 study in The Lancet found that 14 of the first 41 people confirmed to have Covid didn’t visit the market. This suggests there are other sources.

Therefore, bats may have played a role in the Covid outbreak. But it likely wasn’t the consumption of bat soup that caused Covid. The WHO is still tracking the source. But at least scientists have debunked the bat soup causing Covid theory.

Conclusion

The rumors about bat soup and Covid-19 are false. The myth started when a woman eating bat soup video went viral. However, the video was taken in 2016 and filmed in Palau, a country in the Pacific Ocean.

Bats may have played a role in the Covid pandemic, but bat soup didn’t cause Covid. The exact cause is still not known.

I hope you liked this post. If you liked it, please comment and let us know in the comments below. I’d also love to answer any other myths you might have heard, and I’d love it if you wanted to share the myths/stories you have come across yourself.

Are you interested to read more?

Then, read similar posts like The Toxic Work Culture in China and The Harsh Truth About Social Media in China.

Before talking about how China overcame Covid-19, we need to discuss how it responded to its news. On 31st December 2019, China notified the World Health Organization (WHO) about an outbreak. The origins of this pneumonia outbreak were not known. Later, the city of Wuhan, located on the eastern side of China, was found to be the location of the outbreak.

In no less than 7 days after the news of this outbreak, Chinese health officials identified the cause of this pneumonia outbreak. They coined it “2019-nCoV” on the 7^th of January 2020.

This was the world’s battle with the invisible “enemy.” An “enemy” that went on to take millions of lives around the globe. A relentless virus. However, before it reached the rest of the world, Covid broke out in China. This post will discuss Covid in China and how the govt dealt with it.

Initial Response to Covid in China

China had to overcome Covid. The authorities made it clear. Life was at a standstill for months. People suffered because of Covid. Some had nervous breakdowns. Lock down made others struggle. Being stuck together broke many relationships.

While Wuhan faced a full-frontal quarantine, the response was immediate. Curfews set in place to deal with the Covid virus in China. Strict surveillance in neighbourhoods prevented people from going out. Life was at a standstill as China collectively dealt with the Covid virus in Wuhan.

In addition, all shops except those providing food and medicines shut down, and tight restrictions were placed on people to force quarantine. The government also canceled activities involving crowds. It postponed the reopening of schools and colleges. Also, the government extended the winter holidays.

Investigations traced the outbreak to a seafood market that sold bats. Authorities believed it to be the origin of the virus. So, the Chinese authorities closed the market on January 1, 2020, due to Covid.

This large-scale quarantine and social distancing had its effects. The scale of lockdowns and economic losses was unlike anything. Certainly not to this extent. This made epidemiologists unsure– whether it would work or not. Indeed, skeptics worldwide were on the fence about how effective social distancing was.

National Reporting System

The Chinese government took no chances with lives. The case doctor had to report any claim digitally on diagnosis or suspicion of the COVID-19 case in Wuhan. Another measure– daily reports for the newly suspected, diagnosed, and asymptomatic cases and deaths. This number added to the statistics generated for the total number in each area. It was useful in letting the authorities know how well any area was doing with Covid in China.

Each province had to submit its report. That too, on a daily basis. Experts generated epidemiological curves for each province and the whole country using this data. The country also used these data to identify and focus on areas that have more cases and require further measures.

Healthcare and Medical Services for the Public during Covid in China

On January 24, the government decided they needed more space to accommodate Covid patients. The Chinese government started building new hospitals in Wuhan and preparing the existing ones to receive Covid-19 patients. With an affliction that could spread by breathing, they had to have a safe space to treat it. The Huoshenshan Hospital treats 1,000 COVID-19 patients at once! It’s amazing. During the same period, the Leishenshan Hospital, with a 1,500-bed capacity, opened to the public.

As for the health team, the government deployed more than 40,000 healthcare workers. Moreover, they mobilized medical resources from across the country to support the response in Wuhan. In addition, China’s Health Commission worked on tracking Covid-19 among healthcare workers. The revision of protection standards and prevention and control measures against the disease in hospitals ensued.

Situational Improvements

A big win for the authorities and the healthcare workers who worked round the clock! After all the measures and people’s effort, a decline in the number of new cases and deaths was observed by the end of February and was still ongoing. Health authorities reported zero new local Covid-19 cases in Wuhan and Hubei provinces for four straight days from March 19 to March 22.

Fighting and containing an outbreak of a novel pathogen with person-to-person transmission in this highly mobile world is hard. But the government’s and people’s effort helped fight it. China announced the removal of the lockdown and the travel restrictions on Wuhan. Also, they restarted the economy on April 8.

China provides hope for the rest of the world and reminds other countries that even the most difficult situations can be reversed. Its work during the outbreak has since inspired several countries around the globe.

While the rest of the world was combatting the spread of the virus, China beat Covid. Even their economy was on the rise again.

Conclusion: How China Overcame The First Covid Wave

China’s response to the COVID-19 epidemic is to be appraised. It has stunned the whole world. To control the high level of collective action in a modern city with more than 11 million people is truly astonishing.

China’s government and people were up for the challenge and were able to contain the outbreak within their country’s borders. After more than two months, the situation was heading steadfast towards improvement.

If you liked this post, please let us know in the comments. I would love to hear your thoughts on how the Chinese government fought Covid and beat its first wave. While this time around, it got worse, it is a post I will write soon to inform you of all events. For now, I hope you found this post informative. I know the Covid burnout is real, but we must learn from our actions and mistakes. It is vital to growing to fight the next pandemic.

Interested in learning more about China? There’s more to read, like the Toxic Work Culture In China and The Chinese Zodiac.

If you are willing to go through the whole purchasing process by yourself, then you may like to know how you can identify a real manufacturing company in China. And once you find an appropriate manufacturer or supplier, you would definitely want to know if they are even a legit company to deal with without legal or logistic issues.

Why Would You Even Consider Hiring a Sourcing Agency at First Place?

For many, finding the required product, choosing the right supplier, and getting through the supplier verification process is sometimes a tedious and a difficult job. You may want to get rid of this tiring effort.

Or, you may not have much time to spare before you would want your store be filled with the desired products.

Or, you may even don’t have much confidence in your skills or findings regarding your specific supplier.

Whether you are a novice importer, or have been importing from China for quite some time, you will find these questions at some point in your business. These issues are very much experienced by novice and seasoned importers alike. Naturally, you would want to ensure the safety of your investment.

In such cases, it sounds appropriate to transfer the burden of end to end sourcing and delivery on the hired shoulders of a sourcing agency. This arrangement will allow you to turn your focus away from dealing with the sellers all by yourself. In doing so, you can spend more time and energies on the selling part of your business and handling local business issues.

Many people are already looking for someone local for help

Most companies or small business owners rely on someone local in China to assist them in sourcing and closing a deal. Throughout my 16 or so years of stay in China, many of my friends have approached me for assisting them in dealing with their supplier. Many people contact me for the same purpose through social media or through references, just because I am here.

If you are dealing with a company for the first time, you would want to make sure they are operating legally. Off course, you would want to save your skin… and money, and do not want to be fooled by some company thousands of miles away.

The local agencies or sourcing companies in China can help you in doing these tasks for you. Off course they charge for their services, but that is an expense sometimes worth making.

How a Local Agency or a Product Sourcing Company Is Helpful for You?

As they say, there is no substitute for experience—and this benefit alone could be worth spending the money.

Think about the following reasons for hiring a product sourcing company.

Sourcing companies know their local market like the back of their hand.

Using their knowledge, they can potentially propose a much better plan for your business for you to use.

A sourcing agency typically have close ties with the local suppliers.

They may have worked with several suppliers and manufacturers in the past. Therefore, they can get a better deal most of the times because of their relationship with them.

They speak the local language.

The largest barrier in dealing with Chinese companies for most foreigners is the inability to speak the local language. When you hire a sourcing agency, the language will not become a barrier in dealing with the suppliers and performing negotiations. You do not want miscommunication in getting through your requirements. The sourcing agency can easily verify supplier’s documents that are typically in the local language.

They probably have heard every question multiple times that you have to ask.

Given their experience with other clients, they are almost always ready to satisfy your requirements and provide appropriate support.

They know the current dynamics of the market that you would probably not know if you are new.

For example, what regions are known for what kind of products, how suppliers can fool overseas buyers, and so on. This is an invaluable knowledge that can save your business from a setback.

They may have other clients who are looking for the same product as you.

If that is the case, then they can place a bigger order, and can get further discount from the supplier.

They know the best methods to negotiate with the companies and manufacturers in China.

They know the practices and customs of the local market. After finding the right manufacturer and knowing the right price, they use the right negotiation techniques to help you get the lower price without compromising on any of your requirements.

They save a lot of your time.

They have the right knowledge and specialized skills in procurement, and therefore can be more efficient in securing a deal.

Sourcing companies usually have a network of agents all over the country.

They can utilize their network and connections to serve your needs.

What Services Do They Usually Provide?

As a matter of fact, a product sourcing agency can provide many different services based on customers’ needs. You can an agency for the whole sourcing process, or only for the selected part of the job.

Consider these agencies as your one stop shop for your business in China.

They generally provide the following services.

Sourcing a product for your business

If you are looking to import products, but have no idea where to start. Or, you do not want to spend your time in researching and verifying the appropriate supplier. You can seek help of a sourcing agency in that case. The sourcing agency would provide you the end to end services, from finding the appropriate supplier, to shipping your products to your destination.

Helping in selecting the appropriate supplier for your products

You can hire a sourcing agency only to find an appropriate supplier for your business. You may want to take it over from there and further deal with the company by yourself.

Auditing factory, vetting and verification of supplier

You may have already found an appropriate supplier for your business, but you are not sure if they work legally in China and can really provide proper services. In such a case, you can hire the services of an agency to perform factory audits and verify the supplier’s credentials.

Evaluating product samples before issuing purchase order

You have already selected a supplier and are satisfied with them. Whether you want to avoid hefty overseas shipping charges on samples for some reason, or having time constraints, you can hire the agency to evaluate the samples for you and provide you a report.

Following up on orders

After you have placed the order, the agency can help you keeping an eye on the schedule. They can keep following up on orders as and when you require them.

Testing and inspecting your products before shipping

You can hire a sourcing agency to test and inspect the produced goods to make sure they are according to your requirements. They usually perform product inspection according to industry standards.

Handling shipping and logistics

The product sourcing agencies usually have relationships with several different freight forwarders. They coordinate with your supplier and freight forwarder, and utilize their contacts to send your shipment using the best way.

Providing other value adding services

Many sourcing agencies provide additional services; such as, private labeling, customizing the product or its label or its packaging, and so on. They also provide drop shipping and fulfillment services directly from Mainland China.

What Would They Usually Charge You for Their Service?

The sourcing agencies have different payment and compensation methods to charge for their services:

Price-based flat rate for buyer

This service fee is typically the percentage of the price of the goods purchased. The agency negotiates the price with the supplier on your behalf, and typically charge you between 1 and 10% of the total price. This method is completely open and transparent to you, and keep you involved in every aspect of the purchase process.

Price markup

The agencies with this method act as independent trading companies. They source the product for you, and provide you a price by adding their own commission on top of the product price. In this case, you would typically not know the actual price and source of the product. However, they make sure that all your requirements are met. They negotiate with the supplier and make all the arrangements according to your needs. That is, they take the complete responsibility of purchasing and exporting the product to your destination as per your requirements.

Purchase commission from supplier

This is the commission in percentage that the agency charges from the manufacturer or supplier. They usually team up with the supplier and act as their selling agent.

Commission from both buyer and supplier

The agencies with this method take commission from both parties. This method allows them to keep the commission low for both supplier and the buyer. For example, if they charge only the buyer or the supplier, they would charge 8% commission of the total amount. But if they charge both parties for their services, they would charge 4% each to earn that same 8% commission.

Charges for miscellaneous services

The agencies would charge a different services charges for other services that they offer. Such as, supplier verification, testing and inspection, and so on. These charges may or may not be based on the value of the product.

So Which Sourcing Agency Should You Partner with?

Are you more concerned about the source of the product? Or, quality and price of the product is more of your issue?

Consider the different services and methods mentioned above. Think about the services you need to hire, and the method that would suit you for the business. And based on that, find a sourcing agency that works with that mode.

A particular point of concern is that that a sourcing agency that charges commission from the supplier may have a biased interest towards the supplier. If an agency is charging a low fee for their services, there is no guarantee that they would not charge the supplier as well. When they do so, they may not work in the best interest of the buyers.

For example, when looking for suppliers, the agency successfully finds a supplier with the perfect match, who fulfills all the requirements. However, the supplier does not agree to the commission terms of the agency. In that case, the agency would let go that supplier in favor of the one who would pay them more commission.

This means, the sourcing agency that you hired to serve your interest, may compromise on some requirements when purchasing. They go ahead with the less qualified supplier. Why? Because that supplier pays them good commission.

That is why an independent agency that serve your interests and fulfill your requirements would always be a better choice. They charge relatively higher commission, but that commission would be much lower than what you would spend on traveling to China and doing the whole process by yourself. And traveling to China in the times of pandemic is not so convenient.

Conclusion

There are times when you need some “boots on the ground” to help you with your business with Chinese companies. You can hire a sourcing agency for that purpose, to help you with the complete purchasing process, or a part of the job. They provide plenty of options and services for you to choose from.

In other words, whatever you would like to do by yourself, if you were in China, they would do all that for you. At the times when you are not being able to travel to China, this indeed is a great help that you may wish you have.

Before 2020 arrived, if anyone wanted to do business with Chinese companies, they would buy an air ticket, and land in China to find an appropriate supplier/manufacturer/source and secure a deal. However, traveling anywhere, and similarly to China these days, is not fun.

Even though the pandemic situation in China is largely under control, and most businesses are back to their normal, but internationally, it is still not so easy to travel right now.

Now when your situation does not allow traveling to China, you have to deal with suppliers without physically meeting them. Therefore, it becomes quite challenging to identify if they are a legit supplier/company/manufacturer for the business or not.

In this article, we will discuss how you can identify a genuine supplier among a million others in China.

So What Choices Do You Have in Choosing a Chinese Supplier?

Many small and medium business owners like to import goods from China. However, they lack in confidence in dealing with the Chinese suppliers and companies. There could be several reasons, including the language barrier, complicated international trading process, scams, or bad quality products.

There are some golden rules that apply to doing business with any Chinese supplier, regardless of the situation worldwide. To avoid being cheated, it is necessary to evaluate the company for their standing before making a deal.

If you are short on time, and have a little bit extra budget at your disposal, it is always recommended to hire a local agency for your help in business with Chinese companies.

However, if you have more time than money, then some hard work and extensive research could potentially do the job just as well.

How Can You Identify a Genuine Chinese Company or Supplier?

There are a number of methods you can use to identify potentially a genuine supplier among the not so trustworthy ones. Beware that no method actually guarantees 100% authenticity on any company’s legal standing or reputation. However, by keeping your sensors on during your conversation with the supplier, and using multiple methods, you can have a good idea if it seems safe enough to go ahead with the supplier for your business or not.

Method 1: Request Your Supplier for Chinese Business License and Other Certificates

There are several certificates that you should be asking for whenever you are engaging with a Chinese company or supplier.

1 – Check Their Business License (营业执照)

Every company in China needs to have a business license issued by the government. This is not a secret document. In fact, the law requires every company to display their business license at a prominent location at their business place. To verify if your supplier is legit, it is a good idea to ask them about their business license. Verifying the business license is usually the first step when doing due diligence on a Chinese supplier. You may often find a company who is reluctant to show their business license upon your request. If this is the case, then probably something is not right.

The business license in China gives you some basic, yet official information about the company. As such, it allows you to check that your supplier is registered and operates legally. Let’s discuss this in a bit detail.

Here it is what a China business license looks like:

The China business license is only issued in Chinese language. You may use the “Google Translator” or the “Baidu Translator” application on your mobile phone to translate the content on the image of the business license to English. Beware that this machine translation may give you good enough information, but may not be accurate. To make sure about the license content, you may make use of a human translation service for more accuracy.

Chinese government usually issues business license in both “Portrait” (vertical) and “Landscape” (horizontal) orientation. However, both copies contain the same information. Different companies may show you license in different orientation.

The business license provides the most important data, which includes:

18-Digit Chinese Business Registration Number:

This unified business registration number provides useful information about the company:

• First digit: Registering authority
• Second digit: Entity type
• Digit 3-8: Registering region
• Digit 9-17: Organization code
• Last digit: Check digit

Official Company Name:

When registering, a company may choose only a Chinese name or both Chinese and English names. Most companies in China are registered with their Chinese names only. They do not officially register an English name. A lot of English company names you may find on buying platforms, such as Alibaba, are using their unofficial names.

Type of entity

Official Address:

This is the registered address of the company, which can be different from their factory address.

Legal Representative:

This is the name of a person who is legally representing the company. This is typically the owner or the co-owner of the company.

Registered Capital:

Depending on the type of a company, the registered capital can be as low as 10,000 CNY or as high as 20 million CNY or above. For example, a small trading company may register for relatively a low capital, but big manufacturing companies may register with large amounts in capital.

Date of Incorporation:

It is generally good to do business with a Chinese supplier who has been in the market for at least 2-3 years.

Expiration Date

Business Scope:

The business scope defined on the business license covers exactly what a company is legally permitted to do. The business scope is typically very specific. Anything not mentioned on the business scope is deemed illegal. For example, it may include “manufacturing and trading of electrical equipment” and “no trade of items subject to license approval”. However, if the company is offering services outside this business scope, then you should obviously see this as a red flag.

QR Code:

You may scan the QR code to see the details of the company on government’s official database: National Enterprise Credit Information Publicity System (NECIPS). Cross check all the details on the database to see if they are same as mentioned on the business license you received from the company.

Verifying business license is a good document to good to start with, but checking other documents can also come in handy.

2 – Bank Account Certificate (开户许可证)

If they have this certificate, it proves that they are a genuine holder of the bank account, and your money actually goes to the company.

However, a company may operate more than one bank account, for example, to handle different currencies or different modes of business. Nevertheless, the take away here is that, always transfer money to company’s back account, and not to any personal accounts.

3 – ISO 9001 Certificate (ISO9001质量管理体系证书)

Requesting for ISO9001 certificate is usually a good measure to ensure that the organization’s quality management system is certified. Cross check the details on the certificate, and also verify the certification authority.

4 – Test Reports (测试报告)

Request for the test reports of the items to confirm that the goods are being produced to the standard you require. Make sure the test reports are of the same items that you are interested in. Check the details of the report to see if the report actually contains the information that you need. Some supplier’s may show you the test reports of other items that you are not looking for.

5 – Purchase Invoice or Proforma Invoice (形式发票)

This is the invoice your supplier should provide you against the products you are buying. Carefully check all the details on the invoice, including product detail, price, name of the company, bank account information, and so on.

6 – Foreign Trade Registration Certificate (对外贸易经营者备案登记表)

This certificate is only required for the companies which are directly engaged in foreign trading. If a company does not possess this certificate, then they are possibly using a trading company to export their goods. If they posses this certificate, then it is good. Otherwise, check and confirm with them if they are using a third party to ship goods outside China.

7 – Customs Registration Certificate (进出口货物收发货人报关注册登记证书)

The Chinese companies who possess this certificate are registered with China Customs to make custom declarations. Not every company who is engaged in foreign trading possess this certificate, as they may use another broker for this process. Nevertheless, it is a good method to understand their capabilities.

Method 2: Ask Your Supplier for Reference

Ask you supplier for their bank’s reference letters to verify their credit worthiness.

You may also ask for their previous or other current customers as a reference, and do not hesitate to contact them. This will give you a great insight on supplier’s track record in producing the required items.

But, here is a catch. Many good manufacturers want to keep their customer list private, except when they work with some big customers that everybody knows. They may refuse, for the fear that their competitors may try to contact the customers and underbid them. So, this also may not be a fruitful method, but it is good if they provide you any reference to vet their claims.

Method 3: Use Search Engines to Find Out Their Reputation in the Market

Use Google, Bing and Baidu search engines to run a quick background check. Open a search engine, and type the company name and their phone number in the search field and hit search. The search results may display some useful information about the company. Such as, any exhibition or a trade show they might have attended recently, or an award that they have received from some reputed organization, and so on.

Now run the search for their negative reputation. Open a search engine, and search for “[company name] + fraud”, “[company name] + scam” and some other similar variations.

Use these helpful tips when performing search:

• Run these search queries with their English name as well as Chinese names (with Chinese characters).
• Use Google Chrome to perform these search queries. The search results may display references to some Chinese websites. The Google Chrome browser usually translates the Chinese websites to English automatically. If the browser does not translate these websites automatically, you can configure it to do so when required.
• If they have provided you some images of their factory or manufacturing unit, use Google Images, Bing Images or Baidu Images to see if anyone else is using these images or not. There are chances they might have provided you images of some other factory that does not belong to them.

Method 4: Request for a Sample

Regardless of what you are buying, it is good to ask for their sample—even if you have to pay for it. When you have the sample in your hands, you can check the quality of the product to see it if fulfills your requirements. You may also know about their service and attitude.

If you have to pay for it, tell them that you want to wire transfer the payment directly into their company’s bank account. If they cannot provide you their account information, then the things are fishy.

Conclusion:

Doing business with Chinese company or a supplier requires due diligence. You should perform a proper check and verification for the companies to know that they are what they claim to be. Check all the details in the documents they provide to you very carefully. They may provide you a different document than what you requested, or the document that does not contain the relevant or complete information.

You would definitely not want to work with a supplier that is non reliable, often provides inferior quality products, or delays shipments. In this article, we introduced some tips that you can use to vet your supplier before making a final decision.

Disclaimer: At Sesame Disk by NiHao Cloud, we welcome a diverse range of options and point-of-views. This post contains useful information for entrepreneurs. However, the following should be noted:
– In general, this article does not include any medical or legal advice. If you require any medical or legal advice, you may consult a relevant doctor or a lawyer specific to your case. International and your local authorities may also have issued some advice which you may follow.
– Some of the points noted in this article may reflect the views of the writer only, and may not necessarily reflect the views of our team and the company.

Most countries are struggling in controlling the spread of coronavirus. However, no country has been able to control its spread better than China. This is a glaring fact, and denying this fact would be lying on its face.

China took the first hit from coronavirus and bore huge losses to economy

Since China was the first country affected by coronavirus, there was no previous data or experience available on how to respond. That was why, China took extreme steps to control the spread. The whole country of 1.46 billion people was locked down for about four months. This was only done in efforts to control the transmission of coronavirus. Those four months included the most important time of the year in China, when families get together for the Chinese New Year, and businesses thrive. In the end, all those restrictions really helped the country in putting the brakes on the spread. And that too in a very short time.

However, the imposed lock down had a great toll on economy. China’s economy contracted 6.8% in the first quarter of 2020. During this time, some 460,000 Chinese firms closed. This is the first ever contraction recorded since the reforms were adapted by the end of Mao’s era in late 1970s. All these losses to businesses and economy, forced China, like every other country, to apply restrictions on entry and exit for travelers. However, despite all these restrictions, a recent outbreak of coronavirus happened in Nanjing city of China on July 20, 2021. This outbreak was of Delta variant, but brought under control within a month. This recent outbreak proved that slightest of oversight could be disastrous for the country. Therefore, China still remains on a high alert in avoiding any new spread of coronavirus.

So Who Can Travel to China?

China closed its borders to nearly all travelers on March 28 last year, when the pandemic started spreading throughout Europe. Travelers with visa issued after March 28 can enter China on those visas.

China eased its restrictions after almost a year in March 2021 for select number of travelers from 23 countries. Starting from March 15th 2021, China is providing facilitation for reunion, work, and business visa applicants. However, all applicants are required to be inoculated with COVID-19 vaccines produced in China and obtain a vaccination certificate.

So, now you can travel to China in one of the three ways:

• If you are holding a valid Chinese residence permits for work, personal matters, and reunion
• If you are holding a diplomatic, service, courtesy, or C visa
• Or you may apply for a new Chinese visa only for work or emergency humanitarian needs. The humanitarian needs could be such as visiting a seriously ill family member, or getting urgent medical treatment. If you already hold a valid old visa, your previous visa will not be cancelled.

How Traveling to China During Coronavirus Global Pandemic is Different than Before

The entry and exit restrictions in China vary by traveler’s location and are based on a number of factors. These factors may include traveler’s nationality, travel history, residency status, and/or vaccination status. These restrictions could also vary between different cities and provinces of China.

Let’s take a look at each of these requirements a bit closely.

Nationality and Travel History

Allowance to enter China depends on the current situation of coronavirus in your country, or the countries you have been to in the recent past. This includes the countries of your layover where you changed your flight to enter China. Chinese authorities may or may not allow entry if you are not flying directly from your country of origin to your destination in China. In most cases, if there is a hitch in your itinerary, the airport staff would communicate the possibilities before boarding. Or, in worst case, the airport staff may even deny you from boarding.

Visa Services and Vaccinations

Various Chinese embassies and consulates have announced an easing of visa restrictions for persons who can prove they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 with a China-produced vaccine. This means, all foreign nationals holding proof of vaccination with a China-produced vaccine, and their family members, may apply for a visa to travel to Mainland China. Also, now they may apply without producing additional documentation such as letters of invitation. Currently, Chinese embassies are only accepting applications for the resumption of work or for other permitted activities, excluding tourism.

COVID-19 Tests

The requirements for negative COVID-19 nucleic acid and IgM serum antibody tests are stringent enough for slightest of causes. If you are not vaccinated, but your IgM serum antibodies level is higher than the set criteria, then this may mean you have recently been infected with novel coronavirus.

The airline staff would require you to present the test certificates when boarding the flight. You must take the The negative nucleic acid and IgM serum antibody tests at the designated labs or institutions within the last 48 hours of departure. Some of my friends informed me that they did receive the negative nucleic acid test, but their IgM serum antibodies were higher than the required criteria, and therefore they were denied traveling.

Health Code

China has introduced a “health code” for foreigners traveling to China. The health code is an effective public health managing measure used in China’s anti-epidemic battle based on technology. This health code records dynamic information about personal health, including normal respiratory symptoms and nucleic acid test results. You may contact your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate for the guidance on how to get this health code for travel.

Flight Booking

For many countries, the flight operations are still restricted. As a result, most international routes are still not operating as they were operating before the pandemic. These restrictions on flights have caused the ticket prices to rise to extreme levels, and out of the reach of many. This price hike and flight schedules have generally made it difficult for most passengers to find their ticket on a flight.

Quarantine

You must undergo testing-on-arrival for COVID-19 and a mandatory quarantine. Some regions in China demand 14 days of quarantine, while others require 21 days. This may take place at a location designated by government (usually a hotel) or at your home. The stay at a hotel would cost you anywhere around 6000 Chinese Yuan (about $928) to 12,000 Chinese Yuan (about $1856), depending on the hotel’s star rating and services.

Things to Consider Before You Travel

• Traveling Cost: Traveling during coronavirus global pandemic is expensive. Your traveling cost may vary depending on the price of your ticket, nucleic acid tests, quarantine requirements and the food cost during quarantine. Also, if you get unlucky to catch coronavirus during travel, the treatment for COVID-19 may also cost you some extra money.
• Travel itinerary: Keep your travel duration as short as possible and avoid layovers, to avoid getting in contact with coronavirus during travel. If you can get on a direct flight from your country of origin to your destination in China, then that should be your best choice.
• COVID-19 SOPs: Keep in mind the general standard operating procedures (SOPs) of wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and frequently applying hand sanitizer or wiping your hands off with alcohol based napkins. You must also follow airport and airline staff’s advice during travel to avoid unnecessary delays.
• Quarantine Requirements: Obtain the latest requirements for quarantine before you plan your trip. It is also good to keep yourself updated with the latest situation before boarding. This will allow you to adjust your plan accordingly, if required.
• Vaccination Certificates and Negative Nucleic Acid Test Reports: These are must to have during travel.

Best Practices

• Always remember to consult the latest official information before making booking decisions.
• Obtain your vaccination certificate and take the negative nucleic acid test 48 hours before your departure.
• It is always good to consult your nearest Chinese embassy or consulate office for local information and requirements regarding boarding and departure.
• You should also check with your airline regarding arrival procedures and quarantine requirements.
• Before you plan your trip, you may also like to talk to your host, friend or some acquaintance in China for the local requirements and practices.

To prepare well for your travel, the more you know, the better it will be.

What to Expect after Completing Your Quarantine for Coronavirus?

After you complete your quarantine period in China, you will be allowed to carry on with your business. If you are an entrepreneur and traveling to China to work on your business, you may like to take a look at our article for the challenges you may face in your business.

As of August 27, 2021, about 56% of the population has already got the vaccine. Life in China is largely back to normal, but things can change fast in China. Regional lock downs are imposed every time there are new outbreaks of the virus.

The government still emphasizes on wearing face masks in public. Traveling in public transportation, including airplanes, trains, subways, taxis or public buses require you to show your QR health code and wear face masks all the time. All the restaurants, shopping malls, parks or other public areas also need to see your health code to allow entry.

In China, different cities have also maintained different restrictions on travel. The government has marked each city as Low Risk, Medium Risk, or High Risk area, depending on the current coronavirus situation. If you plan to travel within China to different cities, you must check with the local authorities regarding the requirements. The requirements may include a COVID test taken with the last 48 hours, vaccination and/or the green QR health code.

The color of the QR health code may change depending on the locations you traveled or people you met within the last 14 days

• Green: If your health code displays in green color, then it means that you are not formerly or currently confirmed or suspected coronavirus case. If you get the green color, it means you are allowed to travel through local transport. You can also enter any public area, business (such as restaurant) or a public building (such as shopping mall).
• Yellow: If your health code displays in yellow color then it indicates that you have been in contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients. It also indicates that you are having fever, cough, sore throat, and/or shortness of breath. If your health code is yellow, then you will have to quarantine as indicated by the health authorities. You will also need to check your temperature at least twice a day, and require to avoid crowded places.
• Red: If your health code displays in red, then you are a certain or presumed coronavirus case. This may also mean that you have been in close contact with confirmed COVID-19 patients, including people who confirm in the health declaration that they have in fact been in unsafe contact with a confirmed coronavirus case within the past 14 days.

Disclaimer

The travel and other policies change quickly, depending on the current situation at large. You must double check with the local Chinese embassy, consulate or China visa center to ensure your trip.

The traveling restrictions and policies only apply to visa processing services offered by Chinese embassies and consulates in select locations. You must double check with your local Chinese embassy or consulate to determine if you are eligible to apply for visa, and information regarding travel requirements, quarantine and so on.