New Delhi: China temporarily suspended the entry of Indian nationals due to the Covid-19 pandemic Thursday. Indian nationals holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits will not be allowed to enter the country, for now.
According to a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in India, consulates and the embassy itself will not stamp the Health Declaration Forms for the holders of certain categories of visa or residence permits.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s hereby announced that China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry into China by foreign nationals in India holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits,” the statement read.
“The suspension is a temporary measurement that China has to adopt to deal with the current pandemic. China will make further adjustment and announcement in accordance with the ongoing pandemic situation in a timely manner,” it added.
“Foreigners with emergency or humanitarian needs to visit China, can submit visa application to the Chinese Embassy/ Consulates in India,” it said.
India is one of a handful of countries whose nationals’ entry into China is suspended. The UK, Belgium and Philippines are the others, according to Chinese media reports.
However, foreigners holding diplomatic, service, courtesy and C visas are not affected. Also, the entry into China with visas issued after 3 November is not affected, the embassy said.
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India’s response
Reacting to the decision, Indian government sources said the Chinese Embassy’s announcement indicates that it is just a temporary measure, and that changes can be expected in a “timely manner”.
The sources pointed out that future visa applications have not been banned, and that visas issued after 3 November were valid for travel to China. However, India is in touch with the Chinese side to facilitate essential travel of Indians to and from China, they said.
The sources also added that China possibly took the step due to the “rise in Covid-19 cases globally, aggravated due to the advent of autumn and winter in the northern hemisphere”.
Vande Bharat flight ‘rescheduled’
India has also been discussing the issue of running repatriation flights to China under the ‘Vande Bharat Mission’ (VBM), which has been turned down by Beijing. The Indian Embassy in China had announced the previous day that the first VBM Delhi-Wuhan-Delhi flight, scheduled for 6 November, had been “rescheduled”.
“With regard to the planned VBM flight on 6 November from Delhi-Wuhan-Delhi, the embassy has not received the required clearances from the Chinese authorities, who have indicated that more discussions are required in order to process the clearances. The proposed flight on 6 November is, therefore, being rescheduled,” the Indian embassy statement read.
Important notice on the rescheduling of #VBM flight. We will continue to work with the Chinese side to get the required clearances for an early rescheduling ? pic.twitter.com/3tDiWrf6CV
— India in China (@EOIBeijing) November 4, 2020
These developments have taken place at a time when the India-China border stand-off in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has entered its seventh month, and a series of military and diplomatic talks have failed to find a solution so far.
The eighth round of India-China military level talks will begin Friday in Chushul.
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(This report has been updated with Indian government sources’ response to China’s decision)