China labels U.S. concerns over COVID regulations ‘groundless accusations’ -Breaking
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© Reuters. A worker wearing a protective jacket directs people to line up for a nucleic acid testing during a lockdown in Shanghai, China on April 9, 2022. This was done in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19). REUTERS/Aly Song2/3
SHANGHAI (Reuters – China’s Foreign Ministry expressed its “strong dissatisfaction” with the United States late Saturday, after raising concerns regarding China’s coronavirus prevention measures.
On Friday, the U.S. State Department stated that its Shanghai consulate had non-emergency staff and their families could have to leave because of a rise in COVID cases.
Zhao Lijian, a spokesperson for the foreign ministry said that they were dissatisfied and strongly opposed to U.S. allegations against China’s Pandemic Prevention Policy.
Shanghai, China is currently fighting the worst COVID-19 virus outbreak in China since late 2019 when the virus was first discovered in Wuhan. Nearly 25,000 local cases were reported Sunday.
Although these numbers may seem small, Shanghai’s measures to fight the epidemic have reduced food supplies and other necessities for Shanghai’s 26 million residents. There are also concerns regarding access to health care.
Shanghai’s controversial practice was to separate COVID positive children from their parents. The authorities have made concessions since then.
“Ambassador Nicholas Burns and other Department and Mission officials raised concerns regarding the epidemic and the PRC’s control steps directly with PRC officials,” said a spokesperson for U.S. Embassy in a statement Saturday. This was referring to People’s Republic of China.
The statement stated that “we have informed them regarding the voluntary departure decision”.
According to Friday’s advisory, Americans are advised to reconsider traveling to China because of the “arbitrary enforcement” of COVID-19 and local laws.
It also advised Americans to avoid traveling to Hong Kong, Jilin Province, or Shanghai due to the risk of parent and child separation.
China’s foreign ministry stated Saturday that China is preventing pandemics and has been “scientific” and that they are effective. They also said that foreign diplomatic staff have been assisted as best as possible.
Recently, diplomats representing more than 30 nations wrote to China’s foreign minister to voice concern about the current separations.
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