shahennews<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese citizens travelling internationally, one of the first countries in the world to issue a \u201cvirus passport\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The digital certificate, which shows a user\u2019s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was launched on Monday<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The certificate is being rolled out \u201cto help promote world economic recovery and facilitate cross-border travel\u201d, a foreign ministry spokesman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The certificate, which is also available in paper form, is currently only for use by Chinese citizens and is not yet mandatory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There is also no information on which countries China is working with to get the certificate recognised when Chinese travellers go overseas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Bahrain has already introduced a \u201cvaccine passport\u201d, the United States and the United Kingdom are among countries also considering implementing similar permits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The European Union is also working on a vaccine \u201cgreen pass\u201d that would allow citizens to travel between member countries and abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
China\u2019s programme includes an encrypted QR code that allows authorities to obtain a traveller\u2019s health information, state media agency Xinhua reported on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cQR health codes\u201d on WeChat and other Chinese smartphone apps are already required to gain entry to domestic transport and many public spaces in China.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The apps track a user\u2019s location and produce a \u201cgreen\u201d code \u2013 synonymous with good health \u2013 if a user has not been in close contact with a confirmed case or has not travelled to a virus hotspot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the system has sparked privacy concerns and fears it marks an expansion of government surveillance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NEWS AGENCIES<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
shahennews China has launched a health certificate programme for Chinese citizens travelling internationally, one of the first countries in the world to issue a \u201cvirus passport\u201d. The digital certificate, which shows a user\u2019s vaccination status and virus test results, is available for Chinese citizens via a programme on Chinese social media platform WeChat that was …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":7405,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[39],"tags":[82,60],"class_list":["post-8107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arab-and-international","tag-china","tag-shahennews-2"],"yoast_head":"\n