China has made anal swab tests for the coronavirus mandatory for almost all international arrivals, deepening a row with other countries over a practice many have described as humiliating.
The Japanese government has already raised concern about its citizens being subjected to the “undignified” procedure while American diplomats have also complained. Katsunobu Kato, Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, said it would ask China to alter its testing regimen after some Japanese travellers reported suffering “psychological pain” from the invasive procedure.
As a possible compromise Lu Hongzhou, a Shanghai-based doctor, told China’s state media that the anal swab could be substituted with a stool sample. South Korea appears to have accepted that offer and Japan is also understood to be in talks about a deal that
