In an announcement on Monday, the Japanese government decided to put an end to testing travelers coming from China for the coronavirus, which comes after China called it "discriminatory".

Starting Wednesday, passengers arriving from China will have to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test result conducted before departure "just the same as all the other travelers and returnees".

In retaliation to the previous travel requirement by Japan, the issuance of short-term visas to Japanese citizens was halted by Chinese authorities as the Chinese foreign ministry called out Japan's "discriminatory practices".

Read next: World leaders urged to say 'never again' to vaccine inequity

Related News

Rising China–Japan tensions spill into culture, tourism

Japan’s Takaichi defends $135 bln stimulus as ‘responsible’

However, visa issuing resumed in January even though Japan maintained its arrival test requirement for Chinese travelers - until now. 

This also follows the UK's decision to allow passengers from China to no longer need a negative test proof to enter the UK, starting April 5.

In February, China announced that it will end pandemic-related restrictions and open back its borders with Macau and Hong Kong after Hong Kong announced that travel across sea and land with mainland China will be restored gradually with a quota then of only 60,000 travelers per day the requirement of a negative Covid test result.

Beijing's zero-Covid doctrine of quarantine closed borders, and face masks contributed to an economic recession in Hong Kong and the exodus of more than 2.5% of the population.

In regards to the US, as of this past December, the CDC stated that all air passengers two years and older coming from China or whose trip originates from China must obtain a negative PCR test issued less than two days before their departure and give it to their airlines,

Read more: US did not provide access to data that accuse China of Covid-19: WHO