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China will strengthen border entry and exit control to prevent the import of COVID-19 cases, an official of the National Immigration Administration said on Wednesday.

Liu Haitao, director-general of the administration's Department of Frontier Inspection and Management, said at a news briefing staff members at ports will strictly inspect overseas flights and vessels as well as passengers. At sea ports, no landing, boarding or docking will be approved for international voyages unless necessary.

"Non-emergency and non-essential" cross-border movement of people will also be limited. The administration will not issue passports or entry-exit documents for non-essential reasons, he said.

He said applications with real needs such as studying, working or doing business abroad will be accepted in a timely manner. For Chinese citizens who need to enter or exit the country for international pandemic control efforts or resumption of work and production, the administration will also accept and process applications promptly or provide expedited services to support global pandemic prevention and economic recovery.

The country will also take stringent measures to crack down on cross-border criminal activities, especially smuggling, to prevent the import of COVID-19 infections by illegal immigrants.

China will also strengthen law enforcement cooperation with neighboring countries and regions, conduct joint patrols and jointly crack down on illegal border crossings, he added.