"So, we've seen that, I will not speak for China… there's no cause for retaliation here," Jean-Pierre said during a press briefing on Tuesday. "Just because countries around the world are taking prudent health measures to protect their citizens, that's what you're seeing from us and others, this decision is based on public health and science. This is coming from our experts here."
Jean-Pierre’s comments come after the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said earlier on Tuesday that China opposes the newly announced restrictions by the United States and will take countermeasures based on the principle of reciprocity.
In December, China announced that it was abandoning its zero-COVID policy and preparing to reopen its borders in January.
The United Kingdom, France and the United States are among the countries that have introduced COVID-19 testing requirements for Chinese travelers starting in January.