China is ready to accept Indian students despite a “complicated severe epidemic situation”

*Paromita Das

China said it is “ready to receive some Indian students under the current, complicated severe epidemic situation” two years after several Indian students returned from China due to the pandemic.

“China places a high value on Indian students’ concerns about returning to China for study,” the country’s foreign ministry stated.

The move comes as Shanghai has been placed under lockdown due to a new virus wave led by the Omicron variant. According to reports, several cities have been placed on partial lockdown for the past few months due to an increase in coronavirus cases.

Beijing authorities have announced stringent measures, including a ban on internet cafes and other forms of entertainment during the May Day holidays, which begin on April 30.

In a cautious response to allowing Indian students, China stated that it must take “into account the international epidemic situation, evolving circumstances.”

The country has seen a COVID-19 surge not seen since the pandemic began in Wuhan in early 2020.

According to Zhao Lijian, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, efforts are already underway to ensure the return of Indian students.

“All that remains is for the Indian side to provide a list of students who truly need to return to China,” Zhao explained.