China bans entry of Indians and foreign nationals for COVID issues

Beijing: China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry of Indian and other foreign nationals living in India into the country. The order will apply to all foreign nationals residing in India holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits. Apart from this, China has also suspended all flights from India citing Corona virus epidemic.

Beijing has also made similar announcements banning the entry of non-Chinese visitors from Britain, Belgium and the Philippines.

China has also stopped the movement of Air India into the country under the Vande Bharat mission (VBM). While commercial flights between India and China have not resumed, Air India has been operating special rescue flights under VBM to different cities of China.

The Chinese government in an announcement said that they have temporarily suspended the entry of foreign nationals due to the Covid-19 pandemic, foreigners with emergency or humanitarian needs to visit China can submit visa application to the Chinese Embassy/ Consulates also further adjustments would be made according to the prevailing situation, they added.

Officials in Beijing say more than 1,500 Indians had registered to return to China; Beijing's new announcement makes their return to China uncertain.

The Chinese foreign ministry defended the decision, saying it was a "reasonable and fair" measure to tackle the pandemic.

As many as 23 Covid-19 positive Indians among them 19 asymptomatic carriers of the infection were on board a VBM flight, which landed in the central Chinese city of Wuhan from New Delhi last Friday. The flight had registered the highest number of infected persons on an Indian rescue flight to China so far.

The large number of cases on the flight – and the high incidence of the disease in India – prompted the Chinese embassy in New Delhi to change pre-boarding Covid-19 testing rules for Indians coming to China on special flights from Saturday, November 7.

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