While flights between India and China are currently suspended, Chinese citizens can travel according to the regulations in force for foreign We have been doing it by first flying to a third country with which India has a travel bubble. And from there, they fly to India. Furthermore, Chinese citizens living in countries with air bubbles have also been flying to India from there for work and business.
Over the past weekend, airlines, both Indian and foreign, were specifically asked not to transport Chinese nationals to India. At moment of tourist visas India remains suspended, but foreigners can travel here for work and some other categories of non-tourist visas. Industry sources say that the majority of Chinese nationals flying to India come from European countries with air bubbles.
Some airlines are known to have asked the authorities to give them something in writing so that they could give a reason for denying boarding to Chinese nationals booked on flights to India under current regulations.
New Delhi’s response comes when Indian seafarers find themselves stranded in various Chinese ports because China refuses to allow them ashore, or even to change crews. This has affected almost 1,500 Indians serving on international flagged merchant ships, as they cannot even return home.
Although the target is Australia, whose coal is now banned by China, Indian seafarers have suffered a major collateral impact and Beijing does not appear willing to organize immediate relief. Questioned this week, China’s Foreign Ministry threw the ball in the courts of local authorities. But officials say there are no permits from any local authority. The Chinese government has given a list of next steps, but Indian officials say they are designed to thwart efforts.
In early November, China had suspended the entry of foreign nationals with valid Chinese visas or residence permits from some countries, including India, due to the pandemic. “The Chinese embassy / consulates in India will not stamp health declaration forms for holders of the aforementioned visa or residence permit categories,” the Chinese embassy in India said in a statement on its website on 5 May. November, while exempting some categories of visa holders as diplomats.
“Entry to China with visas issued after November 3, 2020 is not affected … the suspension is a temporary measure that China has to take to deal with the current pandemic. China will make further adjustments and announce in accordance with the current pandemic situation in a timely manner, “the statement said.
China’s decision came after nearly 20 passengers on an Air India Vande Bharat Mission Delhi-Wuhan flight on October 30 tested positive for Covid and another 40 were found to have Covid antibodies upon arrival.
China Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong suspends airlines for 14 days if five or more passengers on any flight test positive on arrival. Hong Kong has so far banned AI four times and Viewer once during the pandemic for this reason.
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