29th September: China’s ongoing travel restriction, which has prevented thousands of Indian students from visiting the country for more than a year, reflects the Chinese authorities’ “unscientific approach,” according to India’s Ambassador to China Vikram Misri.
Many of the over 23,000 Indian students registered in Chinese institutions have remained in India and are unable to return to their classes, according to a July report in The Hindu. Most are pursuing medical degrees and are afraid that online courses offered by their colleges would not effectively educate students, particularly in clinical topics that require hands-on experience.
Their pleadings to Chinese authorities had gone unanswered for almost a year. In June, 3,000 students under the name of “Indian Students in China” contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi with an email requesting clarity on a possible return date and stating that they were willing to comply with all mandatory immunization, testing, and quarantine measures.
Since a travel ban was enforced in November last year, China’s embassy in India has mostly stopped granting visas. Since March of this year, the Embassy has essentially stopped Chinese people in India from going home by refusing to issue them health codes, which are required to board flights to China.
Family members are included in the prohibition, which has resulted in numerous incidents of families being split up for over a year. Several Chinese nationals in India told The Hindu that they haven’t seen their children in over a year and haven’t been able to see sick relatives, while others are reuniting in third countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates.
India has begun giving visas to Chinese citizens to allow them to visit their relatives in India, however, they risk being unable to return to China if they do so. Mr. Misri noted that India was now giving visas to Chinese businesspeople who wanted to visit the country.
Quarantine might last up to 21 days for all visitors to China. Even individuals who are willing to submit to the mandatory tests and quarantine are not granted visas or health codes. China has yet to provide a timeline for when it will open up.
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