Beijing banned foreign arrivals from France and a host of other countries, the latest in a growing number of entry bans as China closes itself off from a world still battling the coronavirus pandemic.

Chinese embassies in countries including Britain, Belgium, India and the Philippines said this week that Beijing had decided to “temporarily suspend” entries by non-Chinese nationals, AFP reported.

France was the latest to join that list, with a statement on the Chinese embassy website saying non-Chinese arrivals would be barred from entering the country. Chinese embassies in Russia, Italy and Ethiopia also announced similar measures.