China calls for global travel mechanism amid COVID-19

China proposed a global mechanism to facilitate international travel disrupted by COVID-19 at the15th G20 Leaders' Summit hosted by Saudi Arabia over the weekend.

Speaking at the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping said health certificates based on nucleic acid test results can be verified with a global mechanism that can be created based on QR code technology, according to BBC News.

Emphasizing that a large number of countries could be involved in the mechanism, Xi said, "We need to further align policies and standards and create fast ways to facilitate regular travel of people."

Following Xi's proposal for a QR code, human rights advocates warned that the codes could be used for broader political monitoring and discrimination.

Worldwide, the death toll from COVID-19 is nearly 1.4 million in 191 countries since the virus was first detected in Wuhan, China late December last year.

The number of infections stands at just over 59 million with nearly 38 million recoveries, according to the latest figures from US-based Johns Hopkins University.