China to start issuing new passports as virus curbs ease

  Chinese government says it will start issuing new passports as it dismantles anti-virus travel barriers, setting up a potential flood of millions of tourists out of China for next month's Lunar New Year holiday.

That raises possibility of an influx of free-spending Chinese visitors to revenue-starved destinations in Asia and Europe in what usually is country's busiest travel season. But it also presents a danger, as tourists might spre COVID-19 as infections surge in China.

China stopped issuing passports at start of COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 as part of world's strictest anti-virus controls and tried to block students, businesspeople and or travellers from going abro. Tourist travel into China was shut down. Businesspeople and ors who were allowed in were quarantined for up to one week.

Tuesday's announcement ds to abrupt changes that roll back a "zero-COVID" strategy that confined millions of families to ir homes. It kept infection rates low but fueled public frustration and crushed economic growth.

National Immigration ministration of China said it will start taking applications January 8 for ordinary passports for tourism. It said it will resume issuing approval for Chinese travellers to visit Hong Kong for tourism and business.

government also has dropped or eased most quarantine, testing and or rules within China, joining United States, Japan and or governments in trying to live with virus inste of stamping out transmission.

Japan and India responded to China's surge in infections by requiring virus tests for travellers from country. (AP) RDT