Two years later, China granted visas to over 1,300 Indian students, but direct flights unlikely

Posted on 12th Oct 2022 by rohit kumar

China has issued visas to more than 1300 Indian students after a two-year break due to the Corona epidemic. Strict Kovid-19 restrictions have been in place in China since the beginning of the epidemic. Due to this, direct flights from India and China are also closed for two years. Although direct flights are unlikely to start, China has granted visas to over 1,300 Indian students to return to China to resume their studies.

 

Liu Jinsong, an official of the Chinese Foreign Ministry for Asian Affairs, called on the Indian Ambassador to China Luo Guodong, and briefed him on the further progress. In a statement, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, "More than 1,300 Indian students have obtained visas to visit China, and about 300 businessmen in two batches flew on a China Airlines chartered flight to Yiwu City, Zhejiang Province. " China said that 300 Indian businessmen have reached the Chinese industrial city of Yiwu on their chartered flight.

 

Thousands of Indian students studying in Chinese medical colleges are currently stuck at home. According to government figures, more than 23,000 Indian students are currently enrolled in various Chinese universities, the majority of whom are medical students. India has been urging China for a long time to allow the return of students. In a conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in July, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar raised the issue of the return of Indian students to China, emphasizing the need to expedite the process.

 

Direct flights between India and China are not likely to resume at the moment

 

The operation of direct flights between India and China is not likely to resume at present without changes in the rules related to the Kovid-19 epidemic. Sources gave this information. Flight services between the two countries have been disrupted since the first Kovid-19 infection in Wuhan in late 2019 which later spread worldwide. Due to the pandemic restrictions, flight disruptions have become a major problem for hundreds of Indian students, families of Indians working in China, and businessmen. However, China recently lifted the visa ban after almost three years.

 

Sources said here that Indians are being advised to travel from Hong Kong given the possibility of flights not resuming. Daily flight services are operating between India and Hong Kong. In such a situation, Indians can fly from Hong Kong to cities in China, where they will have to stay in quarantine for seven days. Indian travelers are currently traveling to China from countries like Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Myanmar.

 

China stopped flight services from almost all countries in the year 2020. In recent months, China has started allowing limited flight services from some countries, including South Asian countries Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Sources said that India and China have been in talks for several months to resume limited flight services. But due to China's rule related to the cancellation of flights when a Covid-infected passenger is found, direct flights are not starting.

 

Airlines find it difficult to comply with the rule as they do not conduct COVID tests which are mandatory for all passengers traveling to China. He said that because of this situation, there is no possibility of resuming direct flights between India and China until China ends this rule.

 

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