Immigration authority refutes false info slandering China's entry-exit policies

BEIJING -- China's National Immigration Administration (NIA) on Friday dismissed false overseas media reports on its border control practices, saying such rumors aim to distort and discredit the country's entry and exit policies.

Recently, some overseas media outlets have hyped disinformation suggesting China has suspended issuing passports to citizens, or prevented people from leaving the country.

Such disinformation is intended to undermine the country's legal, targeted and effective entry-exit management measures introduced under the backdrop of maintaining regular COVID-19 response approaches, said an NIA spokesperson.

The administration has firmly implemented a strategy to prevent both inbound cases and domestic resurgences since the COVID-19 outbreak, effectively reducing the risk of infection caused by individuals entering or exiting the country, the spokesperson said.

Immigration agencies at all levels across the country have improved entry and exit measures to offer timely passport services for people who need to go overseas for study, business, research, medical treatment or other purposes, according to the NIA.

Authorities have also expedited passport services for people heading overseas to help with the anti-COVID fight or transfer relief supplies.

The spokesperson, however, warned that the global pandemic is far from over and there is a great deal of uncertainty concerning how it will develop. With the risk of being infected still high, the NIA advised people to refrain from non-urgent and unnecessary cross-border travel.

People who need to enter or exit the country can access information from the official NIA website, WeChat account or hotline, the spokesperson noted.