CHINA’S SAFETY ADVISORY FOR CITIZENS

BEIJING: China has issued a safety advisory for its citizens staying in or travelling to India, in the backdrop of the ongoing standoff between the troops of the countries near the Sikkim sector.

The advisory has asked Chinese citizens to pay attention to the security situation in India as well as to personal security.

“The Chinese embassy in India is reminding Chinese citizens to pay close attention to the local security situation, improve selfprotection awareness, strengthen security, reduce unnecessary travel,” the note said.

It also called for Chinese citizens to reduce “unnecessary travel” and carry identification documents, adding that they must strictly obey Indian laws and regulations.

It called on its citizens to pay attention “to personal and property safety, in advance inform family, colleagues, friends (of) travel plans”.

“Channels of communication (between the traveler and family) should be open, (citizens should) carry personal identifications, be cautious.

Chinese citizens should have “…strict compliance with Indian laws and regulations, respect local religious customs and customs,” the advisory said.

The advisory, issued through the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, will be valid till August 7. It did not specify why it was being issued.

“It is not a travel alert. It is advisory asking Chinese travellers to be careful,” a foreign ministry official told PTI.

“The Chinese government attaches great importance to the safety and lawful rights of Chinese citizens,” Geng Shuang, foreign ministry spokesperson had said earlier. “In accordance with the security condition of the relevant country, we will decide whether or not to issue a travel alert,” he had said, giving enough indications that Beijing was weighing the possibility of issuing an advisory.

The India advisory is different from the one issued by China after the abduction and murder of two of its citizens in Quetta in Pakistan.

“Recently, there have been a number of terrorist attacks and hostage abductions in Pakistan’s Baluchistan province.

On May 24th two Chinese citizens were abducted by unidentified gunmen in Quetta, the capital of Baluchistan province (sic),” the Pakistan advisory had said.

THE ADVISORY, ISSUED THROUGH THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN NEW DELHI, WILL BE VALID TILL AUGUST 7. IT DID NOT SPECIFY WHY IT WAS BEING ISSUED