I'm surprised this hasn't been talked about on here, or there hasn't been a press release of some sort. According to my friend in Shangri-la, ALL Chinese individuals and even foreigners living in China aged 18-59 are required by law to get vaccinated.

Can someone confirm this, and if this is the case, when is the deadline?

What are the penalties for non-compliance?

I wish they'd raise that age restriction to cover seniors.

Age restrictions. Especially in Shangri-la this is an issue because how old are the people in Shangri-la?

I've since done some research and while some employers and even prefectures have tried to mandate the shot, the central government has told them not to do so at this time. Therefore, the shot remains voluntary. It appears the shot may be mandatory for Communist party officials and government workers, but not the general public.

not true at all, in many places foreigners CANNOT get the vaccine, they can't mandate something when they also stop people getting it. What you probably heard is that for some high-level meetings attendees need to have it, regardless of nationality

???foreigners / communist party officials??? Maybe you are talking about different groups of people.

The Bangkok Post reported that the shot is mandatory for Chinese government officials and communist party officials. NOT mandatory for foreigners (yet) though in another thread someone seemed to imply it's mandatory for foreigners seeking new work permits.

My Chinese friend in Shangri-la told me with a high degree of confidence that it's mandatory for everyone, but like I said, this is NOT the case. The Global Times and other media have confirmed that despite some employers and prefectures trying to mandate it, the national government has overruled this. Therefore, the shot is voluntary for the vast majority of the population.

I hope it remains this way...even though technically, China could invoke the Dec 1, 2019 promulgated mandatory vaccination law.

@Tom
I haven't seen anything official about people seeking new work permits if they're already in China.

I have a friend who recently switched which school he's teaching at and managed to accomplish this feat.

There is, however, the requirement for foreigners applying for new work or family visas from OUTSIDE of China.

The Chinese embassy websites for both Canada and USA stipulate that vaccination with the Chinese vaccine is a requirement for a new visa, and that vaccine is not approved for use over there.

Other posts have stated that Pfizer and Moderna vaccinations are being accepted in America but that's not reflected on the embassy websites and could easily be used as an excuse to refuse a visa.

@Zoologist, since when is there any logic in such rules? I do admit China is just a little bit more logical than some surrounding nations are.

The Buri Ram, Thailand governor has threatened residents of his province with fines and or jail time, for refusing to sign up for vaccination by the end of last month. This despite a vaccine shortage. Yet the authoritarian governor decided to threaten the people anyway. Nothing has been heard about this since, suggesting it was an empty threat and won't be enforced.

In Phuket, tourism businesses have been threatened with longer closures if their employees don't get vaccinated in time for the July 1 reopening. This despite the goal being 70% inoculation, not 100%.

More recently, there has been more carrot than stick, with reports of prizes being offered, as well as free treats for those choosing to get vaccinated.

@AlPage48, so if someone outside of China does not wish to get vaccinated (or can't), they can't travel back to China even if they live there? That's a bit draconian. I thought that was what quarantine is for?

Even Thailand does not require vaccination. They are merely offering a quarantine waiver for those vaccinated starting next month in Phuket. Unvaccinated individuals will till be allowed to enter the country, just that for the time being, quarantine will remain mandatory for them.

Does anyone think China will eventually mandate Covid-19 shots for foreigners renewing their work visas inside the country, or potentially, across the board for all visa extensions?

I sure hope not, but I see it as being possible.