Beijing; China indefinitely paused air travel from India blocking non-Chinese flyers to return to the country following an increase in Covid-19 cases in last week’s Vande Bharat Mission. While commercial flights between India and China have not restarted, Air India has been operating special rescue flights under the VBM process to different cities of China.
Beijing made similar statements to ban entry of non-Chinese visitors from Britain, Belgium, and the Philippines and urged travelers from the United States, France, and Germany to present results of additional health tests as it defends itself against a resurrection in coronavirus cases increasing around the world. The new break order is a partial lapse of an easing on September 28, when Beijing permitted all foreigners with valid residence permits to enter. China had prohibited the entry of foreigners in retort to the epidemic at the end of March.
For India, it means the four VBM flights organized every week from November 13th onwards now would have to be rescheduled. Officials in Beijing say more than 1500 Indians had enlisted to return to China; Beijing’s new announcement makes their return to China doubtful. The Chinese foreign ministry upheld the decision, saying it was a “reasonable and fair” measure to battle with the pandemic.
“China is drawing on the practices of many countries and adjusting its handling of the entry of the relevant people into China based on the changing pandemic situation,” ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said. The India-specific announcement said that neither the Chinese embassy in New Delhi nor consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata would stamp on health certificates provided by normal passport holders.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s hereby declared that China has determined to temporarily ban the entry into China by foreign nationals in India holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits,” the Chinese government said in an announcement on Thursday.“The Chinese Embassy/ Consulates in India will not stamp the Health Declaration Forms for the holders of the above-mentioned categories of visa or residence permits,” the statement added.
”Foreigners with emergency or humanitarian needs to visit China can submit a visa application to the Chinese Embassy/ Consulates in India. The entry into China with visas issued after November 3rd, 2020 is not affected.”The suspension is an interim measurement that China has to acclimate to deal with the current pandemic. China will make additional adjustments and statements following the persistent pandemic situation promptly,” the statement added. 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 recorded the highest number of infected persons on an Indian rescue flight to China so far. A large number of cases on the flight and the high incidence of the disease in India stimulated the Chinese embassy in New Delhi to change pre-boarding Covid-19 testing rules for Indians coming to China on special flights, November 7 onwards.
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