Delhi accuses Beijing of deliberately delaying permission to airlift Indian citizens from coronavirus ground zero

A diplomatic spat broke out between New Delhi and Beijing with the Chinese Government delaying permission for India to send a military aircraft to bring back home its remaining citizens from the epicentre of the coronavirus, also known as Covid-19, outbreak in the communist country.

New Delhi accused Beijing of “deliberately delaying” the granting of permission to send the aircraft, while the request for clearance was submitted as early as on February 13 and flight plan was submitted on February 15.

India was keen to send a C-17 military aircraft to Wuhan in Hubei province of China on February 20. The aircraft was to carry a consignment of gloves, surgical masks, feeding and infusion pumps and defibrillators, which India wanted to provide China as a token of support to the neighbouring country's fight to contain the novel coronavirus outbreak. The aircraft was to bring back home nearly 100 Indian citizens, who could not be evacuated earlier and who still wanted to leave the “ground zero” of the outbreak.

New Delhi asked for Chinese Government's clearance seven days ahead of the day on which it wanted to send the aircraft and even submitted the flight plan five days in advance. Beijing, however, sat on the request of the Government of India and, as a result, the Indian Air Force aircraft could not fly to Wuhan on Thursday as planned, sources said in New Delhi.

China, however, dismissed the allegation that it was deliberately delaying the clearance sought by Government of India to send the aircraft for evacuation.

“There is no such thing as China deliberately delaying granting (India) flight permission,” Ji Rong, spokesperson of the Embassy of China in New Delhi, said on Saturday.

“The current epidemic situation in Hubei province (of China) is complicated, and the prevention and control of Covid-19 has entered into a critical stage,” she said, adding: “We are carefully assessing ground situation, as prevention work requires. Competent departments of the two countries are keeping communication and coordination in this regard.”

New Delhi, however, countered the clarification by the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy. Sources pointed out that China allowed Japan, Ukraine and France to send aircraft to the epicenter of the Covid-19 outbreak on February 16, 19 and 20 respectively. “If the work (prevention and control of the outbreak as cited by Chinese Embassy in New Delhi) was not critical enough to stop or delay the flights by aircraft sent by other countries, how did it suddenly become critical only to delay permission for the aircraft to be sent by India?”, wondered a source in New Delhi.

“Indian nationals are waiting to be brought back from Wuhan. The uncertainty is causing anxiety and mental stress. China should grant clearance to the relief flight which can bring the Indian nationals back,” said the source.

An Air India Boeing 747 aircraft earlier this month flew to Wuhan twice and brought back to New Delhi altogether 647 citizens of India.

Beijing had initially been reluctant to grant New Delhi clearance for sending the Air India aircraft too and had sat on request for permission for several days.

Beijing had initially been trying to dissuade not only India, but also the US, France and other foreign nations from airlifting their citizens from China, as such large-scale evacuation of foreign nationals from its territory might portray it in poor light and undermine the credibility of its claim that it had been capable of containing the outbreak.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote to Chinese President Xi Jinping recently conveying solidarity with people and government of China in meeting the challenge of coronavirus outbreak. He had also offered to provide whatever assistance India could to china.

“The Government of India then put together relief supplies in pursuance of this commitment as a token of our solidarity, particularly in this 70th year anniversary of diplomatic relations. These supplies have been offered even as India faced tremendous shortage itself, given our ethos of helping others, especially neighbours in their hour of need,” a source said. The items New Delhi wanted to send was chosen as per requirement of the Chinese Government.

“Why is the Chinese government delaying clearance for the relief flight? Are they not interested in Indian aid provided as our token of support?,” wondered the source.

“The Chinese side always attaches great importance to the health and safety of Indian nationals in China, and provided assistance and convenience for the return of Indian citizens,” said the spokesperson at the Embassy of China in New Delhi.