WEB DESK
Chinese Foreign Ministry on Wednesday said that more than 1,300 Indian students have been issued visas to return to China to resume their education in Chinese universities and colleges. This was told by the Chinese foreign ministry’s Asia Affairs director general, Liu Jinsong to the Indian ambassador to China Pradeep Rawat during their meeting on Tuesday as Mr. Liu updated Mr. Rawat on recent progress in people-to-people exchanges, since China halted direct flights between the two countries in 2020 under its stringent COVID-19 policy. A readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the two top officials had a candid and friendly exchange of views on bilateral relations, international and regional situations and issues of common concern.
Non-availability of direct flights turned out to be a major problem for thousands of Indian students as well as families of Indians working in China and businessmen to travel back and forth though Beijing recently lifted the visa ban after about three years. The flights through the third countries are exorbitantly expensive. More than 20,000 Indian students enrolled at Chinese universities are stranded back home due to Covid-19 visa restrictions in China.
However, over 100 Indian students reportedly returned to China in recent weeks travelling through the third country routes, especially via Hong Kong paying high price, after waiting for more than two years due to China’s Covid-19 travel restrictions. Other issue is that many Chinese universities have not yet issued ‘No-Objection Certificate’ to thousands of Indian students for their return without which they cannot apply for visa. The Chinese readout also mentioned that around 300 Indian businessmen had recently travelled to Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province on two charter flights.
China eased Covid-19 rules in August last year allowing international students holding long-term study permits to return, following a significant move in June to cut quarantine time for inbound travellers to seven days in hotel isolation and three days of home observation, from a 14-plus-seven system earlier. However, experts say China’s “inflexible zero COVID policy” is the biggest obstacle in building upon the earlier moves to reopen the country for international travel.
One major obstacle in resumption of direct flights between India and China is Beijing’s policy of cancellation (aka, circuit-breaker rule) of scheduled flights every time some passengers are tested positive for COVID-19 on arrival at Chinese airports. Observers said, in the entire process of someone’s return to China, the airline has no role, but under Chinese circuit-breaker rule, it has to bear the brunt of cancellations for several days if some passengers are tested positive on arrival.
The Indian side has long been calling on China to allow students to return. Along with this, the resumption of direct flights featured in the talks when Indian Foreign Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting in Indonesia in July. The issue was also discussed when Wang visited New Delhi in March this year.
As China is not expected to change its Zero COVID policy even after the 20th Congress of the ruling Communist Party beginning on October 16 in Beijing, chances are grim that direct flights between India and China can resume which will remain a major barrier in the people-to-people exchanges. New lockdowns and cross-province travel restrictions prompted by the detection of Omicron subvariant BA.5.1.7 in China indicate there is little chance of the country letting up on its zero-Covid policy just yet as repeatedly cautioned by Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily this week.
