China To Allow Indian Travellers Only If They Take Chinese Vaccines But India Doesn't Have Them
The Chinese Embassy in India has said it would simplify visa applications for Indians inoculated with 'Made in China' Covid-19 vaccines. However, no Chinese-made vaccines against coronavirus are available in India.
The country has been closed to most foreigners since last March to stem the spread of coronavirus which it has largely brought under control at home, stranding many foreigners with jobs and families inside China overseas.
Contents on notice issued by Chinese embassies?
But Chinese embassies in several countries have issued notices saying the country will open visa applications to select people who have taken a China-made jab.?Announcing measures for recipients of Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccines, the embassy notified, "Persons and their family members going to China to carry on their employment contracts, work resumption and other relevant activities are allowed to submit their visa applications through Chinese Visa Application Service Center to Chinese Embassy or Consulates in India following the same way as before the epidemic occurred."
Family members of Chinese citizens or holders of Chinese Permanent Resident¡¯s Permit will also be allowed to submit their visa applications in the same process as before the pandemic, the embassy said.The embassy added that foreigners flying from India to China would be required to present the Electronic Health Declaration for boarding. For the same, they will have to fill in the information, declare the health status and upload the negative certificate of nucleic acid test and IgM antibody test, passport page, as well as valid Chinese visa, which will then be examined and verified by the Chinese Embassy or Consulates in India.
China's vaccine rollout globally?
China has also shipped its vaccines overseas as it works to blunt foreign criticism of the initial spread of the virus from its shores.The embassy statement said this applied to those who had either had two doses of the vaccine or a single-dose at least 14 days before applying for the visa.Chinese embassies in other countries including India, Pakistan, the Philippines, Italy and Sri Lanka have published similar statements.Those arriving in China will still have to face a gruelling quarantine of up to three weeks.
China's vaccines have been rolled out in several countries around the world, including Turkey, Indonesia and Cambodia. Interestingly, coronavirus vaccines available in India -- Covishield and Covaxin have 90% and 81% efficacy, respectively. However, China's vaccines?Sinopharm and CoronaVac?have 79% and 78% efficacy, respectively.?
The Philippines received 600,000 vaccine doses from China two weeks ago, kickstarting its inoculation drive.But they are not readily available everywhere, including in India or Sri Lanka.And Beijing has struggled to gain international trust for its vaccine candidates, hindered by a lack of transparency on test results.But Chinese companies are still set to export nearly 400 million doses of home-grown vaccines overseas, state media has reported.?
