China to resume student visas for Indians after 2 yrs

By Our Special Correspondent

China has announced the resumption of visas for Indian students, suspended for two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than 20,000 Indian medical students returned from China in January 2020 when Covid-19 cases began to rise sharply in the country.

They were unable to return to China to complete their studies due to Beijing's strict measures to contain the spread of the disease and the lack of direct flights.

Since February, many of these students have been demanding to be allowed to return to Chinese universities. They have repeatedly asked the Indian government to discuss the matter with China.

The Chinese Embassy in New Delhi issued detailed instructions regarding visa applications on Monday. "Heartiest congratulations to Indian students!" Jie Rong, Counselor for Asian Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing shared details about the visa application process in a tweet. "Your patience will prove worthwhile. Welcome back to China."

According to the announcement, China will issue student visas to newly admitted students and old students who cannot travel to China due to the pandemic.

While new students are required to submit an original admission letter issued by a university in China, old students are required to submit a 'Certificate of Return to Campus' issued by their university in China.

However, some universities in China are not issuing such letters citing the rise in Covid-19 cases in their provinces. Meanwhile, direct flights between India and China are yet to resume.