Kerry: China Follows U.S., Ends Discriminatory HIV Travel Ban

Kerry: China Follows U.S., Ends Discriminatory HIV Travel Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator John Kerry (D-Mass.), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, today applauded China for ending its ban preventing those with HIV from entering the country. Senator Kerry led the successful effort to end a similar ban in the United States last year.

“This is evidence that when the United States leads with our ideals, the world takes the power of our example very seriously. We fought hard to end our own unwarranted, unjustifiable HIV travel restriction, and now China has taken the same step,” Chairman Kerry said. “I urge other nations to follow this example by striking down any law that unjustly discriminates against HIV positive individuals.”

In 2008, the Senate overwhelmingly passed legislation Kerry co-authored with former Senator Gordon Smith (R-Ore.) to lift the statutory travel and immigration ban as part of the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) reauthorization. President Bush signed the bill into law and President Obama enacted the final regulations to lift the ban earlier this year.