China launching health certificate program to facilitate international travel

China launched a digital health certificate program that will detail a person’s COVID-19 vaccination history to facilitate international travel as more people get inoculated. 

Officials announced that the certificate would utilize the social media platform WeChat and include information about a user’s coronavirus and antibody test results and vaccination history, the South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. 

Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said the certificate’s information will be encrypted in a QR code and can be verified through a public key given to authorities. The digital certificate can reportedly only be used by Chinese nationals.

“China stands ready to discuss with other countries the establishment of mutual recognition mechanisms for health code information on the basis of accommodating each other’s concerns,” Zhao said at a press briefing, according to the newspaper.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi said over the weekend that the program intends to use mutual verification of information like testing and vaccination data to allow people to safely travel internationally, according to Reuters.  

The digital certificate could end up being used as a “vaccine passport” similar to what other countries have proposed or implemented to ensure travelers have received immunization. Bahrain has initiated a certificate program confirming its users’ vaccinations, and the Group of 7 nations, including the U.S., have discussed implementing such a program. 

The Chinese foreign ministry released a statement obtained by the newspaper saying the nation is “actively advancing international recognition of the health certificate and has provided specific ideas, technological plans and the public key to foreign countries through diplomatic channels.”

“We will actively promote the negotiations for mutual recognition,” the ministry said. 

It is unclear which countries China has discussed the program with to gain their approval, according to both news outlets. 

The World Health Organization has cautioned against the use of immunity passports as nations around the world still struggle to obtain access to enough vaccine doses for their populations.

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