Japan, China to allow trips by businesspeople, expatriates

TOKYO — The governments of Japan and China are set to agree this week to allow businesspeople and expatriates to resume traveling between them, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

Japan and China have strong economic ties, and this move is aimed at boosting their economies, which have been hit hard by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to Japanese government sources, the envisaged agreement will allow mainly businesspeople to make short-term trips. They will be exempted from the 14-day quarantine on condition that they take virus tests prior to departure and upon arrival; submit in advance the address of their accommodations; and restrict their movements to work-related locations.

Expatriates will be allowed to make mid- to long-term stays, but will not be exempted from the 14-day quarantine.

Tokyo and Beijing have been negotiating the arrangement, as the spread of infections in China has been under control recently with only a few dozen cases confirmed per day.

China will be the fourth country to agree with Japan on the resumption of short-term trips, and the 11th country and region to agree on the resumption of mid- and long-term stays.

According to the Japanese government, about 373,000 people from China entered Japan for business purposes in 2019, more than from any other country or region.

In 2017, there were about 32,000 Japanese companies in China, also more than in any other country or region.