India Reopens Tourist Visas for Chinese Nationals: A Step Towards Mending Ties

Resumption of Tourist Visas

Beijing: India has announced that it will begin issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens starting this week, marking a significant step in efforts to mend the strained bilateral relations that deteriorated following the military confrontations in Galwan Valley.

The issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals had been halted in 2020 primarily due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but the suspension continued amid ongoing tensions related to the border dispute in eastern Ladakh.

According to the Indian embassy in Beijing, Chinese citizens can start applying for tourist visas from Thursday.

The embassy also provided details regarding the application process and the necessary documents that need to be submitted at Indian visa application centers located in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry has expressed approval of India's decision to reopen tourist visas, describing it as a constructive move to enhance cross-border travel.

"This is a positive development," stated Guo Jiakun, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, during a media briefing when asked about India's announcement.

"Facilitating easier cross-border travel benefits all parties involved. China is prepared to maintain communication and coordination with India to promote exchanges between our peoples," he added.

This decision from the Indian embassy follows a series of discussions held by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing about a week and a half ago.

Jaishankar's visit to China on July 14-15 was primarily for a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

During his trip, he also met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, emphasizing that the ongoing normalization of bilateral relations could yield mutually advantageous results.

In recent months, both India and China have taken several steps to restore their relationship, which had significantly declined after the deadly clashes between their militaries in June 2020.

These normalization efforts began after the Indian and Chinese forces resolved their standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in October of the previous year.

In his opening remarks during the meeting with Wang, Jaishankar highlighted the need for both nations to adopt a "far-sighted approach" to their bilateral relationship.

Last month, the two countries also resumed the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra pilgrimage after a hiatus of nearly five years.