China Defends Visa Curbs Against Stranded Indians, Says It’s ‘Appropriate’ To Control Covid Spread

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the measures were taken for the safety and well-being of the people.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (File Photo)

Beijing: Defending its visa curbs that have prevented thousands of stranded Indians from returning to Beijing, China on Monday ruled out the easing of the curbs in the near future and called it “appropriate” to control the spread of Covid-19.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said that the measures were taken for the safety and well-being of the people.

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“China’s measures are appropriate and also I would like to say that China applies quarantine measures to all inbound travellers. China is willing to have good arrangements on the bilateral travel of personnel,” she told a media briefing here, PTI reported.

The spokesperson, who was responding to questions on Indian ambassador to Beijing Vikram Misri’s criticism of China’s prolonged stringent travel restrictions, said the travel curbs are applied to the Chinese citizens returning from abroad as well.

“China has to make a lot of quarantine measures but they are not targeting India alone. It is applied equally to everyone including Chinese citizens coming back to China,” she said.

Responding to a poser on whether China will discuss the resumption of travel with India, the spokesperson said: “While ensuring safety we are ready to work with countries including India by making proper arrangements. But I don't mean to say that we will immediately solve the issue.”

“Our measures are appropriate and we will make the necessary adjustments in accordance with the evolving situation,” she added.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said China has been adopting quarantine measures in a scientific manner based on law since the onset of Covid-19.

“The pandemic is still spreading globally. So, the Chinese government has taken a lot of measures and we are also adjusting the measures in accordance with the evolving situation to protect the safety and health of the relevant personnel,” she added.

Expressing “disappointment” over China’s reluctance to permit the return of thousands of stranded Indian students, employees and their families due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Indian envoy to Beijing had earlier last week described the country’s restrictions as an “unscientific approach” to a purely humanitarian issue.

“Far less complex issues, which have a purely humanitarian context and are not connected to bilateral diplomatic stances, such as facilitating the movement of students, businesspersons and stranded family members from India to China for over a year and a half now, await a more balanced and sensitive approach,” Misri said in his address to the Track-II Dialogue on China-India Relations.

“I might add here that India has also attempted to keep our trade and commercial relationship insulated from current differences, for instance by continuing to issue visas to Chinese businesspersons to visit India,” he added.