The "Expo" world exhibition starts in Shanghai on 1 May. It is possible that people with HIV will be allowed to enter China by then after all.
It has not yet been officially announced, but several news agencies picked up on a report in the "China Daily" newspaper on Wednesday, according to which the ban on HIV-positive people entering China could soon be lifted. According to the Russian news agency Novosti, there was a corresponding discussion in the State Council on Monday. A spokesperson for the state health authorities is also quoted as saying that a change in the law could be announced before the start of the "Expo" world exhibition in Shanghai on 1 May. Up to four million foreign visitors are expected to attend the event.
The entry ban issued in the 1980s was initially relaxed in the mid-1990s. Since then, foreigners entering the country for a short period of time no longer have to undergo an HIV test or present a medical certificate. However, they are still questioned about their HIV status.
The restrictions were temporarily relaxed during the Olympic Games in Beijing. However, there were still refusals of entry due to immune status. The news portal china.org.cn refers to the case of the Australian writer Robert Dessaix, who had to return home in March without having achieved anything.
The majority of Chinese people are not yet convinced by the idea of following the example of the USA and Korea, which lifted travel restrictions just a few months ago. In an online survey conducted by China Daily and the website sohu.com, in which around 4,000 users took part, 84 per cent of respondents were against lifting the travel ban for people with HIV.
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Website of the Expo 2010 in Shanghai
Information on entry restrictions for people with HIV worldwide can be found at www.hivtravel.org retrievable.
Further up-to-date information on this topic can also be found in the Blog of the German AIDS service organisation.
