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China allows return of selected Indian students to finish courses
The announcement, first by China and then by the Indian embassy, is good news for the students, but it comes with a key rider – not everyone will be allowed back immediately, and no timeline has been given.
Beijing: Selected Indian students studying in China but stranded in their home country since early 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic will be allowed to return to Chinese universities, the country’s foreign ministry and the Indian embassy on Friday said.
The announcement, first by China and then by the Indian embassy, is good news for the students, but it comes with a key rider – not everyone will be allowed back immediately, and no timeline has been given.
“China is ready to receive some of Indian students under the current complicated severe epidemic situation,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday, emphasising that their return will depend on the “international epidemic situation, the evolving circumstances, and their majors”.
“The Chinese side has expressed its willingness to consider facilitating the return of Indian students to China on a need-assessed basis,” the Indian embassy statement said. “ In order to facilitate this, the Indian Embassy intends to prepare a list of such students which will be shared with the Chinese side for their consideration.”
It asked Indian students to provide necessary information by May 8, and gave a Google Forms link for it (https://forms.gle/MJmgByc7BrJj9MPv7).
The criteria for selecting the returning students wasn’t explained by either China or India, but people aware of the matter said it would likely depend on which year – especially for the large number of medical students – of their course the students are in.
“I don’t have the information about the specifics you asked but I am sure these details will be sorted out through communication through existing channels including the embassy so that we will actually deliver the good news,” Zhao said, when asked about the selection criteria.
The information quickly made its way across social media especially among students’ groups, which have petitioned both governments for long to arrange for their return to Chinese campuses.
“China attaches high importance to Indian students’ concerns about returning to China for studies. We have shared with Indian sides the procedures and experience of other countries’ students returning to China. Actually, the work for Indian students’ return has already been started,” Zhao said.
“All that remains to be done is for the Indian side to provide the list of students who really need to come back to China,” the spokesperson said.
“We understand that there is a large number of Indian students studying in China. India may need some time to collect the names. China is ready to receive some Indian students under the current complicated severe epidemic situation,” he added.
Most of the students left China in 2020, around the time the Covid-19 pandemic was spreading in the country, but have been ready to return to continue their education for over two years. They have, however, been unable to do so because of pandemic-related restrictions imposed on international travel by the Chinese government.
The deteriorating Sino-India ties because of the ongoing military tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh since May, 2020 further added to the uncertainties and doubts in the minds of Indians stuck home.
