China and Singapore agreed in a joint statement on May 29th to launch a "fast lane" for chartered flights to facilitate necessary business and official exchanges in early June, according to the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Guangdong will be one of the six provinces to implement the first phase of the China-Singapore fast lane strategy (other provinces include Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Jiangsu, Zhejiang). The two sides will gradually expand the implementation scope and discuss the gradual resumption of commercial flights between the two countries, depending on the circumstances.

Zhao Lijian, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, gave more details at the press conference on June 1st. He said, “business and official travelers can apply for visas after their applications, submitted by the companies or government departments to receive them in the destination country, are approved by competent authorities.”

“After passing the health-screening before leaving their country and the quarantine procedures after their arrival, they will be quarantined for a shorter period of time and their whole stay in the destination country will be effectively managed, forming a closed loop to ensure safety.”

The China-Singapore fast-lane arrangement is considered as an important measure to normalize exchanges and cooperation. Zhao Lijian revealed China is ready to further explore similar arrangements with other countries, supporting people to resume work and contributing to the economic and social recovery worldwide.

At present, countries such as Germany and South Korea have made progress in using a fast track entry system for launching business chartered flights to China.

According to the document posted online, the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) will temporarily adjust its policy and give "green channels" to chartered flights, and the application period will be shortened to three days from seven days previously.

The Chinese government launched the "Five-One" policy at the end of March in an attempt to curb imported COVID-19 infections. That policy allowed each airline to serve one country, from one Chinese city to one foreign city, with no more than one flight each week.

It's clear that the new adjustment is supplementary to the "Five-One" policy, and provides more chances for airlines that previously could only operate once per week from one country, said Zheng Hongfeng, CEO of industry information provider VariFlight.

However, Lin Zhijie, a veteran market watcher, told the Global Times that the "green channels" move does not mean the "Five-One" policy is not effective. 

He said each flight needs the air regulator's approval, and it also needs to be approved by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the chartered flights are serving staff working at foreign companies in China. "It is quite different from the 'Five-One' policy," he said.

Source| Minister of Foreign Affairs, Global Times