London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 06, 2025

China advises foreign diplomats to stay away from Beijing until May 15

China advises foreign diplomats to stay away from Beijing until May 15

Envoys may have diplomatic immunity, but they are not immune to Covid-19, foreign ministry says. US embassy says its employees will obey Chinese law but calls on Beijing to ensure their ‘protections and safeguards’ are maintained

Beijing has advised foreign diplomats to China currently outside the country not to return until the middle of next month, while the South China Morning Post was told on Friday that at least one European envoy is being treated for Covid-19 in hospital in the city.

“Diplomats enjoy immunity, but the virus will not grant them immunity,” China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on Friday.

Beijing was aware of a number of foreign diplomats that had been infected with the coronavirus, so the foreign ministry was advising that those not already in Beijing should not return before May 15, she said, without stating the nationality of any of the people affected.

China last week imposed a ban on all foreigners returning to the country – including those with residence permits – but said the rule would not apply to diplomats, who are generally guaranteed freedom of movement and other privileges under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961.



Hua’s comments came after the ministry’s protocol department last week wrote to foreign embassies in Beijing asking that any of their envoys currently outside the city delay their plans to return, diplomatic sources said.

With the introduction of widespread travel restrictions and other measures to contain the Covid-9 outbreak in China, many foreign diplomats have found themselves unable to perform their regular duties of representing their citizens. The latest ruling is unlikely to make their work any easier.

“The US embassy expects our diplomats to abide by Chinese laws while they are living here,” Frank Whitaker, the mission’s minister counsellor for public affairs, said in response to Hua’s comments.

“However, we also expect the People’s Republic of China to uphold the Vienna Convention that lays out protections and safeguards for our diplomats while on official assignment in this country.”

A spokesman for the European Union’s mission in the city said he was aware of one employee of an EU member’s embassy who had recently returned from overseas and was now being treated in hospital for Covid-19.

He did not specify the nationality of the person – except to say it was not an employee of the EU mission itself – but said that a number of other European diplomats were currently either in quarantine outside Beijing or in isolation at their homes within the city.

The EU mission confirmed that the foreign ministry had “strongly advised” diplomats not to return before May 15, adding that the notice was in keeping with other measures introduced by the Beijing municipal government.

Authorities in the capital said earlier that members of the diplomatic corps would be subject to the same rules and regulations as all other foreigners.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×