China suspends flights to India amid rising cases
BEIJING: China on Thursday indefinitely suspended air travel from India barring non-Chinese flyers to fly the country following a spike in Covid-19 cases in last week’s Vande Bharat Mission (VBM) flights.
While commercial passenger flights between India and China have not resumed, Air India has been operating special rescue flights under the VBM scheme to different cities of China.
Beijing made similar announcements to bar entry of non-Chinese visitors from Britain, Belgium and the Philippines and demanded travellers from the United States, France and Germany present results of additional health tests as it guards itself against a resurgence in coronavirus cases risingaround the world.
China on Thursday indefinitely suspended air travel from India barring non-Chinese flyers to return to the country following a spike in Covid-19 cases in last week’s Vande Bharat Mission (VBM).
While commercial flights between India and China have not resumed, Air India has been operating special rescue flights under the VBM mechanism to different cities of China.
Beijing made similar announcements to bar entry of non-Chinese visitors from Britain, Belgium and the Philippines and demanded travellers from the US, France and Germany present results of additional health tests as it guards itself against a resurgence in cases.
The new suspension order is a partial reversal of an easing on September 28, when Beijing allowed all foreigners with valid residence permits to enter.
For India, it means the four VBM flights scheduled every week from November 13th onwards now would have to be rescheduled.
Officials in Beijing say more than 1500 Indians had registered to return to China; Beijing’s new announcement makes their return to China uncertain.
The Chinese foreign ministry defended the decision, saying it was a “reasonable and fair” measure to tackle the pandemic.
“China is drawing on the practices of many countries and adjusting its handling of the entry of the relevant people into China based on the changing pandemic situation,” ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, said at the ministry briefing on Thursday. The India-specific announcement said that neither the Chinese embassy in New Delhi nor consulates in Mumbai and Kolkata would stamp on health certificates furnished by normal passport holders.
“Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it’s hereby announced that China has decided to temporarily suspend the entry into China by foreign nationals in India holding valid Chinese visas or residence permits,” the Chinese government said in an announcement on Thursday.