Beijing Olympics 2008: China bars businesspeople, but lepers okay
26-JUL-2008 Intellasia | Telegraph
Jul 26, 2008 - 7:00:00 AM
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Foreign businesspeople on non-urgent visits will not be allowed into major Chinese cities until after the Olympics, the authorities have said.
But in a rare loosening of social controls foreign lepers will be let in for the first time.
Shanghai, which alone among the "Olympic cities" affected posted the decision on its website, said the decision had been taken to improve social order. Beijing also confirmed the new rules but without explanation.
Although a number of new visa regulations have been imposed in the run-up to the Games, the new rule is the first to give such a specific ban.
It does not prevent the granting of business visas, but says that issuing of "letters of invitation", which businesspeople from abroad need to obtain for working visits to China, will be postponed until after the Games.
The Shanghai Foreign Economic Relations and Trade Commission, which provides the letters for those coming to China's financial capital, said those who regarded their cases as "urgent" could provide supplementary documentation.
But it added that market research, training or carrying out inspections would not be regarded as urgent.
Apart from the general disruption to business, the postponement of inspections is likely to be the most significant. Western companies that have outsourced production to Chinese factories demand ever tougher standards in both manufacture and in "corporate social responsibility" -workers' conditions.
Without inspections, mostly provided by international consultants, they are unlikely to put in this year's Christmas orders. Paul French, a consultant with Access Asia in Shanghai, said businesses were already turning to Bangladesh and Vietnam because of the difficulty in passing the stricter visa requirements already introduced.
According to Hong Kong media, three other cities -Shenyang, Qingdao and Qinhuangdao -have also introduced the new rules. All five cities will host Olympic events.
The rules were defended yesterday by Liu Jianchao, the government spokesman. "Frankly, with China holding the Olympic Games, we have tightened our security measures, including making necessary changes in visa policy," he said.
Meanwhile, the government said a longstanding rule that prevented leprosy sufferers into the country had been lifted from the beginning of this week.
"The reason we lifted the ban is that the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution on June 18 for the elimination of discrimination against leprosy sufferers," an official said.
Early guidance from the Beijing Olympic Committee said that those who suffered from leprosy, mental illness, sexually transmitted diseases and tuberculosis would be banned from entry. Apart from leprosy, the other restrictions, which also apply to those with HIV, remain in force.
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