World News | China Permits Flights from EU to Bring Stranded Employees but Not Yet from India

Beijing, Sep 14 (PTI) China is permitting chartered flights from Germany, France and Italy organised by their chambers of commerce to bring back employees stranded due to COVD-19 but it is yet to decide on extending the facility to hundreds of Indians stuck back home.

Asked why such a facility was not extended for the stranded Indians, Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here on Tuesday China is dynamically adjusting to the pandemic situation to permit international travel.

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India is among 11 countries China has halted flight travel, citing the COVID-19 situation. This has led to over 23,000 Indian students studying in Chinese Universities besides hundreds of Indians working in Beijing as well as their families stuck in India due to lack of visa and flight facilities.

"The international pandemic situation remains complicated and grave. Joining in practice with other countries, China adjusts dynamically management measures. We stand ready to maintain communication with all parties and on the basis of safety, we can do a good job of exchanging people,” Zhao said.

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Asked whether a similar arrangement like that of Germany, France and Italy can be extended to India, Zhao said, "I will leave that to diplomats of both countries to discuss that matter. If India has this need, they may raise this with the Chinese side".

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)