Health workers guide travelers from China at a COVID-19 testing center at Incheon International Airport in South Korea on January 3. Photo: VCG

China suspends issuing short-term visas for South Korean citizens to visit China for visit, business, tourism, medical treatment, transit or other personal affairs, with the new adjustment taking effect starting Tuesday, the Chinese Embassy in South Korea said in a statement released on Tuesday.

The decision will be reassessed once South Korea removes its discriminatory travel restrictions targeting travelers from China, the statement said.

China again called on countries to base their COVID response measures on science and not to resort to political manipulation or discriminatory measures, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Tue on whether the country will take countermeasures against other countries after China suspends issuing of short-term visas for South Korean citizens.

On whether China has suspended the issuance of visas to Japanese travelers, Wang said it's regrettable that a few countries ignore science and take discriminatory travel restrictions against China. We firmly oppose this kind of discrimination, said Wang.

China takes reciprocal countermeasures and urges relevant countries to take appropriate measures based on science and facts and to stop political manipulation and discriminatory measures, in order not to affect normal people-to-people exchanges, said Wang.

The US, Japan and South Korea are among the countries that announced restrictions on travelers from China, citing concerns that the current surge of COVID-19 cases in China could lead to the emergence of new variants.

A spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has urged countries to base their COVID response measures on science and not to resort to political manipulation or discriminatory measures against China.

Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang on Monday held a phone conversation with South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin. Qin expressed concerns about the recent temporary restrictions taken by South Korea on arrivals from China, and voiced his hope that South Korea would uphold an objective and scientific attitude.