Some Chinese exhibitors are pulling out of this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC) event after organizers with the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA) announced that anyone from Hubei Province, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus that has killed over 900 people, would not be allowed to attend.
GSMA organizers announced the stringent rules amid concerns over the virus just days away from the event scheduled in Barcelona, Spain, on February 24-28.
A few Chinese tech companies have already withdrawn their participation after the announcement was made and said they did not have room on their schedules to adhere to the 14-day mandatory quarantine set by GSMA organizers.
Some companies told the Global Times they were disappointed over the discriminatory measures issued without an advance notice which has forced them to make alternative plans.
In an email to one Chinese exhibitor, the GSMA misspelled “Hubei” as “Hubai,” raising questions over organizers’ carelessness and level of respect.
As organizers noted, roughly 6,000 people from China attend the annual mobile-focused event, accounting for almost 6 percent of all visitors.
Leading Chinese exhibitors on the list this year include ZTE and Huawei, together with other companies who will turn up this year despite growing fears over the coronavirus.
“We have come up with many back-up plans including emergency response plans to deal with incidents involving the coronavirus infection,” said a representative from a leading Chinese tech firm speaking on condition of anonymity to the Global Times on Monday.
When the MWC issued the requirements, given the 14-day mandatory self-quarantine for attendees from China, many would not have had access to the event as some are still in China, the representative said.
“All travelers who have been in China will need to prove they have been outside of China 14 days prior to the event (passport stamp, health certificate),” read the GSMA email sent to exhibitors.
“Temperature screening will be implemented and attendees will need to self-certify they have not been in contact with anyone infected,” the email also said.
Top tech exhibitors including Amazon, Ericsson, Nvidia, and LG announced earlier that they were backing out of this year’s MWC.
China’s ZTE presents its Axon 10 Pro 5G cellphone at Mobile World Congress (MWC 2019) in Barcelona, Spain, Feb. 26, 2019. The four-day MWC 2019 opened its door on Monday, which presents the newest 5G products of the high-tech giants from all around the world. (Photo: Xinhua)
