- The US wants China to relax Covid-19 rules for diplomats.
- The US said these restrictions violate diplomatic privileges and immunities.
- China has imposed mandatory quarantines of at least 14 days for incoming passengers.
WASHINGTON: The United States said Thursday it asked China to relax Covid quarantine rules for diplomats after Beijing accused Washington of sabotaging the Winter Olympics.
China, which has a zero-Covid policy, has imposed mandatory quarantines of at least 14 days for incoming passengers and has repeatedly closed large areas.
State Department spokesman Ned Price said the United States has entered into talks with China over quarantine and testing rules that are “contrary to diplomatic privileges and immunities.”
“We recommended what we believe are a range of reasonable options that we would be in line with the Covid-19 restrictive measures while at the same time complying with international diplomatic standards,” Price told reporters.
He said there has been no change in the operational status of the embassy in Beijing despite the concerns.
China’s state-run Global Times previously warned against any permission from the State Department to let workers or families leave, calling China “the safest place in the world”.
Such a departure “should only create panic, defame China’s anti-epidemic work and disrupt the successful organization of the Winter Olympics in China,” it said.
China also told the United States to stop “interfering” in the Olympics in a Washington time phone call on Wednesday between Secretary of State Wang Yi and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The United States has already announced that its diplomats will boycott the February 4 Games over human rights concerns, a move followed by several US allies.
The United States accuses China of committing genocide against the Uyghurs, with more than a million of the mostly Muslims being held in camps.
