China denies visa to Indians even after they took Sinovac, Sinopharm vaccines in third countries

India on Thursday alleged that its citizens were not being allowed to travel to China even after being inoculated in a third country with Covid-19 vaccines made in China.

New Delhi asked Beijing to restart allowing the citizens of India to visit China. A spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi reminded Beijing that the citizens of China were still being allowed to travel to India, in spite of the absence of direct air connectivity between the two nations.

Nearly 300 Indian citizens wrote to President Xi Jinping’s government, requesting it to allow them to return to their places of study or work in China. Many of them in fact travelled to the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and other countries and got inoculated with Made-in-China vaccines over the past few weeks – in order to be eligible to return to the communist country. Beijing, however, continued to deny visas to them, thus triggering calls from New Delhi for reciprocity on the issue.

The citizens of India have not been able to travel to China since November 2020. Citing the resurgence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in some countries, Beijing on March 15 this year made it mandatory for citizens of India and 19 other nations to get inoculated with Made-in-China vaccines in order to get visas to travel to the communist country.

No Made-in-China Covid-19 vaccine was approved to be administered in India. So Indian citizens travelled to other countries to get inoculated with the vaccines developed and manufactured by China National Pharmaceutical Group Corporation (Sinopharm) and Sinovac Biotech Limited and thus meet the requirement to get visas and be able to return to their place of study or work. But they still did not get visas from China’s embassy in New Delhi and its consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata.

“It is understood that several Indian nationals have applied for Chinese visas after getting vaccinated in that manner but are yet to be issued visas,” Arindam Bagchi, spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, told journalists on Thursday, adding: “Since these Indian nationals have apparently met the requirements laid down by the Chinese side, we hope that the Chinese Embassy would be able to issue them visas soon”.

He noted that persons from China, including citizens of China, were being able to travel to India currently, despite the absence of direct connectivity.

“We have been in touch with the Chinese side in order to seek an early resumption of travel by Indian citizens to China, especially for those who work or study there,” said the MEA spokesperson. He said that New Delhi recognized the need to ensure safety and strictly follow Covid-19 related protocols, but essential two-way travel between India and China should be facilitated, especially keeping in view the fact that China’s citizens were being able to travel to India.

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