China vows to strengthen coronavirus controls at land borders as cases rise

China will work to further prevent coronavirus cases imported through its land borders, the Chinese government said in a statement on Monday after a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang.

The risk of the virus being imported into China via land borders is increasing and the number of such cases has exceeded those recorded at airports recently, the statement said.

Of the 38 imported cases with symptoms recorded in mainland China on Sunday, 20 had arrived in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang after travelling overland from Vladivostok in neighbouring Russia, having flown to Vladivostok from Moscow.