Post-COVID-19 changes in China

What are the current regulations for entering China?

On August 27, 2020, China lifted its border restrictions for 36 European countries, including Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, the United Kingdom as well as 13 Asian countries, namely, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Also, since September 3, direct flights from Cambodia, Canada, Denmark, Greece, Pakistan, Sweden and Thailand are available. Foreigners coming from these countries with a valid residence permit, whether for work or family reunification, can apply for a visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate in their home country for free. Also, nationals of certain countries are required to produce a negative COVID-19 certificate obtained five days before their departure from their home country. Find out more on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. The results will be scrutinised by the Chinese embassy in your country to determine your eligibility for a visa. On your arrival in China, you will be quarantined for 14 days, either at your home or at a hotel designated by the government. However, charges will be your responsibility. Note that quarantine conditions and duration may vary from one province to another. You will also need to take another COVID-19 test during the quarantine. If your test is positive, your family members, as well as persons you have been in contact with, will be quarantined in a public hospital. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to leave quarantine. Refusing to comply with these regulations may result in 3 years of imprisonment. However, China has agreed to set up a fast track for nationals of some countries, including Germany, France, South Korea, the United Kingdom, Japan and Singapore, so that they can skip quarantine on arrival. For example, these travellers, mostly foreign professionals, can start working within 48 hours of their arrival provided they have tested negative for COVID-19. For more information, please contact the Chinese Embassy in your home country or the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Have there been any visa changes recently?

Chinese embassies in Europe have announced a free visa for European nationals holding a valid residence permit. As indicated above, these countries include France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and the United Kingdom. Also, these travellers do not need a letter of invitation to be eligible for a visa. Nationals of some countries, such as the UK, are also required to provide a health declaration to the Chinese Embassy in their home country prior to departure. Since August 22, 2020, travellers from certain Asian countries, such as Thailand, are also allowed to enter China for economic, commercial, scientific and technological, cultural, educational and sporting reasons, provided they have a letter of invitation or a confirmation of invitation, or if they hold a valid residence permit along with an employment certificate issued by their employer. For more information, please contact the Chinese Embassy in your home country.

Is it easy to find work in China following the crisis?

The COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on the Chinese labour market, and in spite of the slow recovery, expats are quite unlikely to be able to find a job in China after the crisis. With a 5.7% unemployment rate, it's hard to ignore that more than 80 million jobs in the services and some 20 million in the manufacturing sector have been affected. Hotels and restaurants, as well as retail, are more fragile than ever. Besides, some 30 million small and medium-sized enterprises and 70 million self-employed fear for their survival after the crisis, according to a study by Renmin University. You are perhaps aware that the Chinese labour market comprises some 290 million foreign workers whose jobs are at risk. What about those 8.7 million Chinese students who are graduating this year? However, there's a slight improvement compared to February when the unemployment rate was at 6.2%. With its new urban recruitment strategy, the government expects the unemployment rate to stay below 6.0% by the end of the year. Indeed, many sectors, including catering, tourism, food, as well as education, have started recovering since border and travel restrictions were lifted. On the other hand, healthcare and medical equipment, the gaming industry, due to strong growth in demand during the last few months, and the various technology-related activities have experienced a real boom over the past few months. It's also worth noting that 60% of the new jobs created in China during the pandemic are internet-related, taking into account the popularity of remote work since the lockdown. Besides, many large companies are preparing to hire new Chinese graduates to help in reducing the youth unemployment rate, which was at 19.3% in June 2020. The government is also providing humanitarian missions fo new graduates in remote and less developed areas. Some 5,000 additional positions are available this year.

How has the Chinese healthcare system performed during the crisis?

Despite its many shortcomings, the Chinese health system responded quickly to the COVID-19 crisis. Besides the lockdown and other restrictions in different provinces, the Chinese government invested massively in the health sector. For example, a hospital with a capacity of 1000 beds was built in just ten days! In the early days of the pandemic, the health system really struggled to meet the growing demand, mainly due to its low capacity and labour shortage. In fact, China has 1.8 doctors for every 1,000 patients, which is very low compared to many countries such as the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan and Singapore. The lack of community health centres in different regions also led to huge crowds in public hospitals for all kinds of illnesses. Fortunately, telehealth is increasingly popular in China since the past few months. The country is also home to more than a thousand telehealth service providers, so you can book an appointment, get a medical checkup and even your medical prescriptions remotely. It's also worth noting that health care in China is mostly covered by the Ministry of Health, while patients pay 32% of the amount. Besides, China has implemented a colour-coded system for better control. With the help of hi-tech giants, this system has been integrated with messaging and payment apps. Once you provide information such as your identity card number, address, health status and residence history, you will receive a colour code that allows you to move across in public spaces. The green code indicates that you can move around freely. In contrast, the yellow and red codes indicate the need to quarantine for 7 or 14 days at home or in a government-designated establishment.

Has anything changed regarding universities and schools?

Distance learning was implemented in China as from February 2020 when more than 200 million students were locked down at home for several months. Schools reopened gradually in the various Chinese provinces, but in some regions, they never really closed. Even today, a temperature check is done at the entrance of schools. Students are required to wear a mask, sanitise their hands regularly with a product containing at least 70% alcohol and observe social distancing. Moreover, plastic or fibre partitions have been installed between the tables. In the classrooms, students sit in single rows and facilities such as IT rooms and libraries are only accessible in small groups. Since cafeterias are closed, students are required to bring their own meals. Regarding higher education in China, universities reopened gradually in the different provinces since June 8, 2020, prioritising those who had exams and first-year students. However, thousands of international students are still studying remotely until further notice.

How is the real estate market following the crisis?

The COVID-19 crisis had a significant impact on the Chinese real estate market. Between February and April 2020, there was a sharp drop in demand. However, things have improved, as evidenced by the rising number of real estate transactions, especially since May, according to a study by Centaline Group. Most of the properties were sold in major Chinese cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou. However, there's no major change compared to the same period in 2019. Today, a new property in China costs around 15,461 yuan, that is US$ 2,262 per square meter, which represents a 0.53% rise on-month rise. Regarding pre-owned properties, prices start from US$ 2,238 per square meter, which translated into a 0.30% average price rise. According to real estate professionals, this rising trend should last until the end of 2020. So if you're looking to buy property in China, maybe you should wait a little longer.

Has the cost of living in China changed because of the crisis?

According to the National Bureau of Statistics, there's an 11.1% rise in food prices compared to the same period in 2019. Since the early days of the crisis, local produce and food products are more expensive. According to local authorities, this increase is due to a higher demand than supply, especially since the Chinese now prefer cooking at home rather than eating out and ordering food. With recent floods in different parts of China, the situation is getting worse, so prices are likely to keep rising in the coming months.

How about lifestyle? Have there been major changes in habits following the sanitary crisis?

Since the end of the lockdown, things are slowly improving in China. Still, the Chinese are taking health regulations very seriously. In fact, failing to comply with these regulations is liable to a fine. For example, it is now prohibited to spit in public. The wearing of masks and regular hands sanitising are now an integral part of the Chinese way of life. Also, people are eating out less and prefer home-made meals so as to avoid health risks. Social distancing is observed as much as possible, and public gatherings are prohibited. For a bustling country like China, with usually many festivals and events throughout the year, life seems to have slowed down. However, families often get together in parks and gardens rather than indoors. Temperature checks are conducted almost everywhere: in businesses and buildings, shops and malls, airports, bus and train stations, as well as on public transport. It is also forbidden to eat in public transport. Lifestyles vary from one city to another, though, with Shanghai being the liveliest city. People are now going to the restaurant, bar and even to the nightclubs. However, there's a new regulation that compels people to use their own cutlery during shared meals.