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John Thomas Abroad marks China’s border reopening after three years of pandemic restrictions. He notes that from January 8, 2023, people holding valid work, business, study or family-reunification visas could enter without quarantine, including people crossing from Hong Kong. He contrasts this with his own 21-day quarantine after returning to the United States in mid-2021. The video says China was not yet open to all tourists and expresses hope that tourist visas would return. John recounts recent trips to Beijing, Shanghai and Macau, mentions that a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours was still required for entry regardless of flight connections, and observes that international flights were recovering. He also shares an encounter with a local who helped him take photos, connecting the policy change to the prospect of renewed visits and family reunions.
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A border change after three years
John Thomas Abroad speaks about the reopening of mainland China’s borders on January 8, 2023, after three years of pandemic restrictions. He focuses on the change for people who hold valid visas for work, business, study or family reunification: they can enter without quarantine. He also notes that people living in Hong Kong can cross the border without quarantine. John compares this policy with his own experience in mid-2021, when he had to quarantine for 21 days after returning to the United States. For him, the change matters because it makes family reunions and other visits easier, even though it does not mean every traveler can enter freely.
Entry requirements and hopes for tourism
The video makes clear that tourist visas are not yet available to everyone at this point in the timeline. John hopes they will return and sees the border change as a step toward more international travel. He talks about his recent trips within the region, including Beijing, Shanghai and Macau. He says a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours is still required for entry, regardless of the traveler’s country of origin or flight connections. He also observes that international flight availability is recovering, with flights resuming and diversions stopping. Those details are presented as conditions at the time of his recording, not as current travel advice.
John’s story includes a local person helping him with photographs, an encounter that he connects with the positive interactions he has experienced in China. He looks forward to welcoming people back and to the possibility of more visits and family reunions. The video is both a personal reaction to a policy change and a snapshot of the entry conditions he describes: eligible visa holders can enter without quarantine, a 48-hour negative test remains required, and tourist travel is still waiting for a further reopening.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: Who could enter China without quarantine at the time of the video?
- A: The video says that people holding valid work, business, study or family-reunification visas could enter without quarantine after the border reopening on January 8, 2023. John also notes that people crossing from Hong Kong could do so without quarantine.
- Q: What COVID test requirement did John mention?
- A: John says a negative COVID test taken within 48 hours was still required for entry, regardless of the traveler’s country of origin or whether a flight had connections. These details describe the conditions at the time of his recording.
- Q: Was China open to all tourists in the video?
- A: No. John says tourist visas were not yet open to all travelers, though he hoped they would return. He also mentions recovering international flights and recent trips to Beijing, Shanghai and Macau.
