Ashish Ranjan
China opens borders to foreign tourists: China announced on Tuesday that it will allow foreign tourists, including those from India, into the country for the first time in three years, and resume issuing various other categories of visas on March 15. This is the latest step in China’s opening up after three years of strict border controls in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The decision to issue visas for all categories was made after China declared a “decisive victory” against Covid-19 earlier this year and downgraded outbreak control protocols.The Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in India will resume issuing various forms of Chinese visas, according to a notice published Tuesday evening on the website of the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.
Allowing travellers to return to the mainland signifies that China has ended its much-criticized “zero-Covid” policy, under which Beijing not only closed its borders but also conducted frequent lockdowns, tests, and contact tracing.China took its first significant step towards reopening in January, when it eliminated quarantine requirements at international airports. During this period, business visas were also reinstated.
It will take several months for tourist arrivals to return to normal, but the increase in the sector will bolster the domestic economy, which was severely harmed by the country’s harsh anti-Covid policies and closed borders.”Foreigners with legitimate visas issued before March 28, 2020, will be permitted to enter China,” the official news agency Xinhua reported. China is adjusting its visa and entry policies to facilitate travel across the border.
Tuesday, a number of Chinese embassies, including the Chinese embassy in New Delhi, announced they would resume visa issuance and restore the validity of all visas issued prior to March 28, 2020.According to the announcement posted on the website of the Chinese embassy, 16 categories of visas will now be issued, including those for tourists, students, and relatives of Indians residing in China.
According to the notice, Indian tourists intending to visit China will be required to provide return ticket information, an itinerary, and proof of employment.However, tourism from India to China is unlikely to take off until March 2020, when direct passenger flights between the two countries are scheduled to resume.
Xinhua reported that visa authorities stationed abroad will resume issuing all categories of visas to foreigners entering China.As of March 28, 2020, China had closed its borders to the majority of international travellers in an effort to prevent the spread of Covid-19.China had stated that the suspension would be “temporary,” but it lasted three years.
“The suspension is a provisional measure that China is compelled to take due to the outbreak situation and the practises of other countries,” the Chinese foreign ministry had said at the time.Separately on March 13, the Chinese education ministry and the national health commission (NHC) rescinded the mask requirement in schools, colleges, and universities.
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Teachers and students are not required to wear masks and may choose to do so based on their personal health conditions and preferences, according to the notice.The immunisation status of students, teachers, and notably senior faculty and staff should be thoroughly examined, according to the notice.
