For the 29th Olympic Games
Please read the following information carefully in order to guarantee that you and your articles enter into and leave the territory of the People’s Republic of China smoothly during the period of the 29th Olympic Games.
I. Brief Introduction to the Entry-exit Inspection and Quarantine System
General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China (AQSIQ)
AQSIQ is an administrative organ directly under the State Council of the People’s Republic of China being in charge of the work of quality, metrology, import and export commodity inspection, entry-exit sanitary quarantine, entry-exit animal and plant quarantine, import-export food safety, certification and accreditation, standardization throughout the country, and execution of administrative law-enforcement. Her major entry-exit inspection and quarantine functions include:
1. To organize the drafting of proposals of the laws and regulations in relation to entry-exit inspection and quarantine; to investigate and draw up guidelines and policies on entry-exit inspection and quarantine work; to work out and promulgate the relevant rules and regulations; to implement the laws and regulations concerning entry-exit inspection and quarantine; to guide and supervise administrative law-enforcement of entry-exit inspection and quarantine; and to be responsible for the work on technical regulations related to entry-exit inspection and quarantine throughout the country;
2. To draft and promulgate rules and regulations on comprehensive operation of entry-exit inspection and quarantine; to administer entry-exit inspection and quarantine at ports; to undertake the responsibility of certificate issuing control of GSP certificates of origin and general certificates of origin for goods;
3. To organize the conduct of the work on entry-exit sanitary quarantine and examination, infectious diseases monitoring, sanitary supervision and treatment; to manage collection, analysis and sorting of information of foreign epidemic situations; to publish epidemic notice and alert notification; to provide information guidance and advising services; to execute sanitary quarantine, supervision and control of special entry-exit articles;
4. To organize the implementation of entry-exit animal and plant quarantine, supervision and management; to manage the collection, analysis and sorting of information on serious animal and plant epidemic situation both from home and abroad; to provide information guidance and advising services; and to be in charge of the work on entry-exit inspection and quarantine of GMOs and their products according to laws and regulations;
5. To organize the implementation of the work on inspection, quarantine, supervision and management of the safety, sanitary and quality of import-export foods and cosmetics; to manage sanitary registration of import-export food and cosmetic manufacturers and processors; and to manage the work of foreign oriented sanitary registration of exporting enterprises;
6. To organize the implementation of the work on statutory inspection, supervision and management of import-export commodities; to supervise and manage the appraisal of import-export commodities and of the value of foreign investment property; to administer entry verification of civilian goods which are subject to the Import Licence System of the State; to approve exemption of commodities subject to statutory inspection and to conduct re-inspection; to organize early stage supervision and follow-up control of import-export commodity inspection and quarantine; to administer entry-exit inspection and quarantine marks (labeling), import safety and quality licences, export quality licences and to undertake responsibility of supervision and management thereof;
7. To administer and coordinate international cooperation and exchange in the field of entry-exit inspection and quarantine; to join in international or regional organizations related to entry-exit inspection and quarantine on behalf of the country; to sign and to be responsible for the implementation of relevant international cooperation agreements and protocols; to examine, approve and implement projects related to international cooperation and exchange. To undertake the work on implementation of the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade and the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures according to rules and to manage the notification and enquiry work under the aforesaid Agreements;
8. To administer directly the local entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities all over the country;
9. To administer the Certification and Accreditation Administration of the People’s Republic of China and the Standardization Administration of the People’s Republic of China;
10. To undertake other missions designated by the State Council.
Local Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Authorities
Directly under AQSIQ, there are 35 Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureaus and under which there are 295 branches and 355 local offices located at each of the sea ports, land ports, airports and provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities in the People’s Republic of China. Local entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities are in charge of the work on sanitary quarantine, animal and plant quarantine, commodity inspection, appraisal, certification and accreditation of entry-exit people, goods, vehicles, containers and the like within their administrative regions respectively.
As a major inspection and quarantine organ, the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau undertake routine inspection and quarantine in the Beijing area, and such work will be their major task before, during and following the Beijing Olympic Games.
II. Laws and Regulations on Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine
The entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities perform their functions based on the following laws and regulations: The Law of the People’s Republic of China on Import and Export Commodity Inspection and its implementation regulations , The Law of the People’s Republic of China on the Entry-exit Animal and Plant Quarantine and its implementation regulations, The Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People’s Republic of China and its specific rules for enforcement, Food Hygiene Law of the People’s Republic of China, and The Regulations of the People’s Republic of China on Certification and Accreditation, etc., for detailed information, please access our website www.aqsiq.gov.cn.
Since its founding, AQSIQ has developed more than 80 regulations within its jurisdictions, such as Regulations of Sanitary quarantine Management on Special Entry-exit Articles, Regulations on Food Hygiene Supervision and Management at Entry-Exit Ports, Regulations of Quarantine Management on Imported Goods with Wood Packaging, Administrative Measures on Quarantine of Articles Carried by Entry-Exit Passengers, Regulations on Inspection, Supervision and Management Procedures for Imported Used Electromechanical Products, and Measures on Examining and Approving of Imported Animal and Plant Quarantine, etc.
III. General Procedures on Inspection and Quarantine of Entry-Exit People and Goods
(I) Procedures on Inspection and Quarantine of Entry-Exit People
Entry people shall be subject to quarantine at the place designated by the inspection and quarantine authority at the port. People subject to entry quarantine shall truthfully report their health condition and show their valid vaccination certificates of the yellow fever and other infectious diseases or other valid certificates according to the requirements of the inspection and quarantine authority.
Exit vehicles and people shall be subject to quarantine at the final frontier port of their departure.
(II) Procedures on Inspection and Quarantine of Entry Goods
For entry goods listed in the catalogue of statutory inspection and quarantine (specific catalogues are available at local inspection and quarantine authorities) the owner or his agent, before or when entering into the territory of China, shall apply for inspection and quarantine to the local inspection and quarantine authority located at the place where they declare their goods to the Customs and shall pay the inspection and quarantine fee. For vehicles or transportation packages coming from affected areas that may spread infectious disease or animal and plant epidemic or may carry toxic and hazardous substances, necessary quarantine, sanitary and disinfesting treatment shall be conducted. When the customs clearance procedure is finished and the goods arrive at the destination, the owner or his agent shall apply for inspection and quarantine to the inspection and quarantine authority at the destination. The goods shall not be sold, installed or used unless they have passed the inspection and quarantine. No goods which is listed in the national compulsory product certification catalogues (The catalogues are available on the website of www.cnca.gov.cn) shall be imported without certification and the attachment of the CCC mark. To import used electromechanical products and electric appliances, going through filing procedures at the local inspection and quarantine authorities in advance is requested. Imported meat and meat products can only come from foreign manufacturers registered by the Chinese government. (the specific list is available at the website of www.aqsiq.gov.cn)
To import special articles such as microorganisms, human tissues, biological products, blood and blood products, as well as animals and plants and their products, application for the Permit of Import/Export Special Articles and the Import Permit of Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine shall be made to AQSIQ or her direct affiliates prior to the signing of trade contracts or agreements with foreign partners.
(III) Procedures on (for) Exit Goods Inspection and Quarantine
Regarding to the exit goods subject to statutory inspection and quarantine, the owner or his agent shall apply for inspection and quarantine to the local inspection and quarantine authorities with relevant documents within the stipulated time limit. After the goods have passed inspection and quarantine, the same authority will issue Document for Custom Clearance of Exit Commodity, with which the owner or his agent may handle the procedures for customs clearance at the Customs.
As for the exit of special articles including microorganisms, human tissues, blood and blood products, and biological products, the owner or his agent shall apply for a permit of special articles to an affiliate of AQSIQ.
(IV) Procedures on Entry Container Inspection and Quarantine
Before or when entry containers entering into China, the agent shall apply for inspection and quarantine to the inspection and quarantine authority at the entry port. The containers shall not be taken or uncrated without permission of the aforesaid authority. The aforesaid authority conducts inspection and quarantine to the containers. Only containers passed the inspection and quarantine are permitted to release. [Containers subject to sanitary and disinfecting treatment etc. as per the definite provisions of the national laws, administrative regulations, and departmental rules shall correspondingly undergo such treatment prior to their release.] Concerning the entry containers from the animal and plant epidemic situation spreading countries (regions) or infectious disease epidemic areas, the inspection and quarantine authorities shall carry out quarantine and the disinfesting treatment to the containers at the entry ports prior to the permission for transportation.
IV. Special Requirements on Entry-Exit People and Goods Inspection and Quarantine
(I) Entry-Exit People Health Quarantine
In accordance with the provisions in the Specific Rules for Enforcing the Frontier Health and Quarantine Law of the People’s Republic of China, the inspection and quarantine authorities have the right to require entry-exit people to fill in a health declaration card and show a vaccination certificate of a certain kind of infectious disease, a health certificate or other relevant certificates. The aforesaid authorities have the right to prevent those people who suffer from AIDS, venereal disease, leprosy, mental illness, and open tuberculosis from entry.
(II) Examination and Approval of Quarantine for Entry Article
The following articles shall be subject to go through quarantine examination and approving procedures of AQSIQ or its affiliates before entering into the territory of China:
1. For entry special articles such as microorganisms, human tissues, blood and blood products and biological products, before entering into China, the owner or his agent shall apply to an affiliate of AQSIQ for handling, and permission for sanitary quarantine of special articles shall be obtained.
2. For the following animals and plants and their products, before entering into the territory of China, an application shall be made to AQSIQ or its affiliate for quarantine examination and approving procedures, and the Import Permit of Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine shall be granted. The procedure for handling the permission can be conducted via the website of www. aqsiq.gov.cn.
(1) Animals and their products:
①Live animals and animal embryos, semens, zygotes, hatching eggs and other animal genetic materials;
②Import animal blood products, vaccines, and biological products;
③Edible animal products, meats and their products (including viscera), casing, fresh milk, fresh egg, edible gelatin, edible bones-hoofs-horns and their products, Chinese medicine materials of animal origin, special nutriments such as edible birds’ nest, etc.;
④Non-edible animal products: peltry, original furs, bones-hoofs-horns and their products, gelatin, cocoons, feeds and feed additives of animal origin, fish meal, meat meal, bone meal, meat-bone meal, fat and grease, blood meal, blood etc., and organic fertilizers containing animal ingredients.
(2) Plants and their products:
① Fruits and vegetables: fresh fruits, tomatoes, eggplants, and capsicum;
② Grains: wheat, corn, rice, barley, rye, oats, sorghum etc. and their processed products, such as malt, etc.;
③ Beans: soybeans, mung beans, peas, adzuki beans, broad beans, chickpeas, etc.;
④ Potatoes: potatoes, cassava, sweet potatoes etc. and their processed products;
⑤ Feeds: wheat bran, soybean cakes, soybean meal etc.;
⑥ Tobaccos: Tobacco leaves and tobacco slices;
⑦ Growing medium.
Notes: Seeds and seedlings (excluding those banned for entry) shall have quarantine licences issued by the agricultural authorities or forestry authorities of China.
3. Only when the following conditions are met, can the examination and approval procedures for the import animals and plants and their products quarantine be handled:
(1) No serious animal and plant epidemic situation in the export countries or regions;
(2) Complying with the relevant provisions of China’s laws, statutes and regulations on animal and plant quarantine;
(3) Complying with relevant bilateral quarantine accords (including quarantine agreements and memorandums) between China and the export country or region.
(III) Inspection and Quarantine of Entry Animals and Plants
1. Entry seeds, seedlings and their breeding materials, plant products etc. are required to be attached with plant quarantine certificates and other relevant documents officially issued by the authorities of export countries or regions, of which entry seeds, seedlings and other breeding materials are required to be isolated for a breeding experiment.
2. Entry animals, animal products and other quarantine articles are required to be attached with animal quarantine certificates and other relevant documents officially issued by the authorities of export countries or regions; the entry animals are required to be isolated for quarantine.
3. If the entry animals and plants are found to carry quarantine pests which are banned for entry by China on the spot or during the isolated quarantine period, they shall undergo the disinfesting treatment, be returned or destroyed. They are allowed for entry if they are proved qualified after aforesaid treatments.
4. In case of entry of packing and bedding materials of animal and plant origin, the owner or his agent shall declare them truthfully. If the package is of wooden material, it shall undergo quarantine and the disinfesting treatment in advance according to the International Standards for Plant Quarantine Measures No.15 (ISPM No.15) before entry, and shall bear a special IPPC mark. After that, it is allowed for entry. For the wooden package used for passenger’s carried and mailed articles without an IPPC mark, it is allowed for entry if no live pests are found in it by quarantine. It shall undergo the disinfesting treatment in case of finding pests in it.
(IV) Inspection and Quarantine of Carried and Mailed Articles
The following animals and plants, their products and other quarantine articles are prohibited to be carried or mailed into the territory of China:
Animals: chicken, ducks, golden pheasants, owls, pigeons, quails, birds, rabbits, white rats, mice, guinea pigs, squirrels, western chipmunks, frogs, snakes, lizards, alligators, earthworms, snails, fish, shrimps, crabs, monkeys, pangolins, lynxes, bees, silkworms, etc.
Animal products: semen, embryos, zygotes, silkworm eggs, raw meat, preserved meat, sausage, ham, salted meat, bacon, eggs, aquatic animal products, fresh milk, dried whey, hides, bristle category, hoofs-bones-horns category, blood, blood meal, fat and grease category, viscera, etc.
Other quarantine objects: seed bacteria, seed virus, pest species, cells, serum, animal specimens, dead animal bodies, animal waste and other articles which may be contaminated by pathogens.
Plants and plant products: corn seeds, soybean seeds, potato tubers and its propagating materials, cutting wood of the Elm, seedlings and coins of the Pine, buds, seedlings and seeds of the Rubber, propagating materials of the Tobacco and tobacco leaves, wheat, fruits, eggplants, capsicum, tomato, plant pathogens (including seed cultures of bacteria and viruses of plants), insect pests and other harmful organisms, and other GMO materials and soil.
The aforesaid articles can not be carried or mailed into the territory of China unless a special approval is granted to them by AQSIQ and with attachment of quarantine certificates officially issued by the authorities of export countries or regions.
(V) Articles Banned for Entry
1. Plant and animal pathogens (including seed cultures of bacteria and viruses), insect pests and other harmful organisms;
2. Relevant animals, plants and their products and other quarantine ojects in the countries and regions with a prevalent animal and plant epidemic situation;
3. Dead animal bodies;
4. Soil;
5. Special articles such as microorganisms, human tissues, blood and its products, biological products, etc.
If the aforesaid banned articles are found by an inspection and quarantine authority, they shall be returned back or destroyed. In case that the aforesaid banned articles are required to be introduced for special needs, an application must be submitted in advance to go through a special approval procedure. These articles may enter into the territory of China only after they are approved by AQSIQ. People carrying the aforesaid articles shall initiatively hand them over to inspection and quarantine officials for treatment.
(VI) Articles Exempted from Inspection
Entry-exit samples, gifts (excluding plants and animals and their products), provisionally permitted entry-exit goods and other non-tradable articles are exempted from inspection, except necessary quarantine.
(VII) Inspection and Quarantine of Entry Food and Cosmetics
1. Countries or regions exporting high risk foods to China for their first time such as meat, vegetables, soybeans, wheat, rice etc. bearing risks of spreading epidemic disease and carrying toxic and harmful substances, the competent authorities in their governments shall submit their applications to AQSIQ, and provide relevant documents on national or regional veterinary service systems, plant protection systems, food safety management systems and other relevant information for risk analysis. AQSIQ organizes experts to analyze the documents provided by the aforesaid potential exporting countries. If necessary, experts will be sent to do spot investigation and assessment. They shall submit a risk analysis report.
2. On the basis of the risk analysis, regarding the entry foods of which risks can be controlled effectively, AQSIQ shall consult with the competent authorities of the export country on risk control measures and sign The Inspection and Quarantine Protocols of Bilateral Governments which stipulate inspection and quarantine requirements clearly.
3. For entry meat foods, in addition to the protocol signed, a hygiene registration shall be executed by the Administration of Certification and Accreditation of the People’s Republic of China to the foreign export food production enterprises. Only enterprises achieving hygiene registration can produce the meat foods to be exported to China.
4. For foods of animal and plant origin listed in The List of Import Permit of Animal and Plant Quarantine, the importers are required to obtain an Import Permit of Entry Animal and Plant Quarantine of the People’s Republic of China issued by AQSIQ before a trade contract is signed.
5. Entry foods and cosmetics are required to be attached with quarantine certificates, hygiene certificates and other relevant documents officially issued by the inspection and quarantine authorities of the export countries.
6. Entry pre-packaged foods and cosmetics are required to be labeled in Chinese in compliance with the National Standards of China. Furthermore, entry cosmetics are required to attach an inspection and quarantine mark (CIQ).
7. When entry foods and cosmetics arrive at the ports, the inspection and quarantine authorities will conduct inspection and quarantine according to the law. Only products passed the inspection and quarantine are allowed to import into and be sold in China. For products failed to pass the inspection and quarantine, various measures will be taken depending on the risk level, such as destroying, return back, changing to other purposes or being further processed to make them qualified for use. .
(VIII) Inspection and Quarantine of accompanying dogs and cats
1. An entry person is allowed to bring only one accompanying dog or cat
2. Those persons who carry accompanying dogs or cats for entry shall apply for inspection and quarantine to the entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities at the entry ports, and shall submit animal health and vaccination certificates officially issued by the competent authorities of export countries or regions. The aforesaid dogs or cats are allowed to release after they have passed clinical examinations by the entry-exit inspection and quarantine authorities and have passed isolated quarantine in the designated places.
V. Preferential Policies and Facilitating Measures on Inspection and Quarantine for the 29th Olympic Games
(I) Goods for the Olympic Games
1. Local inspection and quarantine authorities will set up special counters for handling Olympic goods, and specially-assigned staff shall provide one-stop services including accepting application, conducting inspection and quarantine and issuing certificates, etc. Inspection and quarantine services will be provided whenever the goods are arrived.
2. As for the products subject to CCC certification, local inspection and quarantine authorities will handle import procedure for temporary exemption of CCC certification based on the attesting documents issued by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, and ensure to supervise the exit of the products after the Games.
3. Concerning the foods, animals and plants and their products directly entering into the Olympic Village, local inspection and quarantine authorities will handle release procedure based on the attesting documents issued by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and forwarded by AQSIQ, and ensure that the unused and remained parts of the aforesaid products are treated or returned back from China under the quarantine control.
4. Regarding the entry equipment for the Olympic Games (including sports equipment, broadcast relay devices, and technical apparatus), local inspection and quarantine authorities will offer an instant inspection and quarantine service based on the attesting documents issued by the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad.
(II) Relevant People to the Games
1. Athletes, referees, journalist teams participating in the Games and the IOC members, officials from other countries and regions, and people with identity registration cards of the Olympic Family invited to participate in the Games by the Chinese government are not required to fill in the entry health declaration card and will be provided with convenience for entry-exit inspection and quarantine and courteous reception according to relevant provisions.
2. The aforesaid people who are HIV carriers and declarers suffering from mental illness, leprosy, and venereal disease which might not be dangerous to the society are allowed to enter into China. Relevant inspection and quarantine authorities shall take necessary measures and undertake best follow-up supervision. However, those people who suffer from open tuberculosis and manic psychosis are banned for entry in accordance with provisions of the laws and regulations.
(III) Articles Taken by the Relevant People to the Games
Regarding to Olympic athletes, referees, journalist teams participating in the Games, and the IOC members, officials from other countries and regions, and people with identity registration cards of the Olympic Family invited to participate in the Games by the Chinese government, local inspection and quarantine authorities will provide convenience in inspection and quarantine of their articles. The articles initiatively handed in to inspection and quarantine authorities can be collected; undeclared but found prohibited ones for entry into China will be confiscated.
(IV) Accompanying Animals Brought with the Relevant People to the Games
1. Regarding seeing eye dogs carried by relevant entry-exit people to the Games, local inspection and quarantine authorities will conduct spot quarantine based on the effective animal hygiene certificates, rabies vaccination cards, and certificates of professional training of the seeing eye dogs provided by these people and issued by the animal and plant quarantine authorities of the source countries or regions. The aforesaid dogs can be released after passing the spot quarantine. The inspection and quarantine authorities shall strengthen supervision and management to ensure that the seeing eye dogs leave China with aforesaid people at the same time.
2. For the Olympic athletes, referees participating in the Games, and the IOC members, officials from other countries and regions, and people with identity registration cards of the Olympic Family invited to participate in the Games by the Chinese government, local inspection and quarantine authorities can allow each person to bring one accompanying dog or cat for entry. The aforesaid dogs or cats can be released after passing the quarantine based on the effective quarantine and vaccination certificates issued by the animal and plant quarantine authorities of the source countries or regions, and the inspection and quarantine authorities shall strengthen supervision and management to ensure that the dogs or cats leave China with these people at the same time. The accompanying animals without effective quarantine and vaccination certificates will be isolated for quarantine by the inspection and quarantine authorities or be returned back within the stipulated time limit.
(V) Charges for Inspection and Quarantine of Entry-Exit People and Goods for the Games
1. Inspection and quarantine will be conducted free of charge to goods and equipment of each team for their own use for the Games.
2. Health inspection will be carried out for Olympic athletes, referees, and the IOC members, officials from other countries and regions, and people with identity registration cards of the Olympic Family invited to participate in the Games by the Chinese government, and animal quarantine will be conducted for the accompanying dogs or cats which are brought in by the aforesaid people, inspection and quarantine is free of charge.
3. For the Games-related products which are required to obtain approval of entry animal and plant quarantine, or attestation of exemption from CCC certification, relevant inspection and quarantine is free of charge.
(VI) Other Matters
For emergent inspection and quarantine issues relating to the Games, emergency measures will be taken based on risk assessment; follow-up supervision shall be strengthened and a timely report shall be submitted to AQSIQ.
VI. Kind Remarks
1. Please be sure to abide by the Chinese inspection and quarantine regulations. Travelers entering into China who suffer from fever, vomit, jaundice, diarrhea, acute skin rash, swollen lymph nodes and other symptoms or from AIDS, venereal disease, mental illness, and open tuberculosis are required to declare it initiatively to the inspection and quarantine authorities in accordance with the requirements of the inspection and quarantine authorities;
2. Travelers from yellow fever infected areas are required to show valid yellow fever vaccination certificates to the inspection and quarantine authorities.
(2008-02-01)