China has made it mandatory for people from India and several other countries to have been inoculated against COVID-19 with a Chinese vaccine in order to get visas to travel to the country.
A notice at New Delhi’s Chinese Embassy said: “For the purpose of resuming people-to-people exchanges in an orderly manner, starting from 15 March, 2021, the Chinese Embassies and Consulates in India will provide the persons having taken Chinese-made Covid-19 vaccine and holding the Certificates of Vaccination” with certain facilitating measures.
A report by Global Times said that this rule applies to countries including India, Pakistan, Australia, South Korea, Nigeria, Greece, Italy, Israel, Norway, and Indonesia.
According to a report by IANS, the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu has also announced it will provide visas to only those who have been fully vaccinated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccines.
The US is also among these countries, AFP reported, with the Chinese Embassy in the US saying on Monday that it would begin to process "visa applicants inoculated with Chinese COVID-19 vaccines".
The rule reportedly applies to those who have taken two doses of the vaccine as well as those who have taken a single dose at least 14 days before applying for the visa.
A Problem for India?
China has been exporting its indigenous vaccines to several nations, but mostly those that are emerging. For India, China’s rule is a problem because Chinese-made vaccines are not available for usage.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that many countries have come up with the idea of linking vaccination status with opening up international travels and that the decision was not connected to recognition of Chinese vaccines.
“Our proposal to facilitate the travel of those who have been inoculated with Chinese vaccines is made after thoroughly considering the safety and efficacy of Chinese vaccines,” Lijian said, according to PTI.
“We believe this is a meaningful exploration of facilitating international travel once mass vaccination has been achieved. It is not linked to the recognition of Chinese vaccines,” he added.
When asked if it would not be better if the nation recognised vaccines endorsed by the World Health Organization, he said that this was an arrangement made by China unilaterally as it tried to facilitate international travel.
(With inputs from AFP and PTI.)
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