The coronavirus has led to travel complications in many parts of the world — especially in the Asia Pacific. Some countries are banning or restricting visitors from places ranging from China to South Korea. And in at least one location, there’s an angry reaction.
China has issued a travel warning, telling its residents not to come to the United States. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism has cautioned against travel to the U.S. for what it calls “excessive epidemic prevention measures.”
The Ministry also writes that “Chinese tourists have been treated unfairly repeatedly in the U.S. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism reminds Chinese tourists to raise their security awareness and not to travel to the United States.”
The move is more symbolic than practical. The United States has had travel restrictions in place for visitors from China for nearly a month. The United States was one of the first countries to restrict travel from China following the outbreak of the coronavirus – a move that many senior Chinese government officials have criticized.
Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said the U.S. “set a bad example” for other countries.
Last June, China’s government also issued a warning against travel to the United States. At that time, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism posted a statement on its website that according to a translation by CNBC said “recently, shootings, robberies and theft have occurred frequently in the U.S.”
At this point, more than 60 countries have now placed restrictions or outright bans on visitors from China because of the coronavirus
