The upsurge in Covid cases in China is triggering a new crisis in Chinese-American relations on top of concerns about Communist China’s aggressive pursuit of power and influence around the world. 

Just as China has given up its zero-Covid policies, relaxing constraints and welcoming visitors, Washington is saying all Chinese arriving at American ports of entry as of January 5 will  have to show proof they’re Covid-free before entering the country. 

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman attacked the new American rule, similar to those already adopted by India and Japan, as well as by South Korea. 

Italy, a hot spot for the disease two years ago, is also imposing the same rule, which requires proof of a negative Covid test within 48 hours before arrival.

China, however, is showing no signs of going back to restraints that provoked mass protests after authorities had quarantined entire cities in a futile effort at annihilating the disease that broke out in the industrial city of Wuhan in late 2019.

An English-language propaganda newspaper published by Beijing’s People’s Daily, Global Times, is reporting foreign tourist agencies are “wasting no time in actively luring Chinese visitors, as they anxiously wait for a swift rebound in Chinese outbound tourism.” The paper characterized China’s “recent adjustments” in its Covid response as a “long-awaited piece of good news.”  

On the defensive, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman is implying that the decision to bar visitors without proof of “negative” findings on Covid tests is politically motivated. He said the rules imposed by nations with which China is obviously not on good terms, including America, did not stand up to “scrutiny” of the facts. 

The spokesman, Wang Wenbin, accused those responsible for spreading the word about the extent of the Covid problem in China were “distorting” what he downplayed as mere “policy adjustments” in China’s policy.

The implication was that Washington had deliberately seized the opportunity to undermine relations with Beijing, “hyping” the facts even though “China’s epidemic situation is overall predictable and under control.”

At the heart of the constraints imposed by Washington is that it’s not possible to know how far the disease has spread, how many are ill, and how many have died. 

The lack of statistics prompted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Washington to issue a statement saying it simply had to have facts in order “to monitor the case effectively and decrease the chance for entry of a novel variant of concern.”