Latest news with #tourist visas
CNN
24-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Indian and Chinese travelers hail end of visa freeze between world's two most populous nations as diplomatic tensions thaw
They are the two most populous countries in the world and neighbors clamoring for more tourists, but for much of the last five years it has been difficult for Indian and Chinese nationals to vacation in each other's nations. Now that looks set to finally change as previous fractious relations between the two Asian giants finally begin to thaw. India will issue tourist visas for Chinese citizens for the first time in five years, allowing nationals from its neighboring country to freely visit each other, marking a significant reset in relations after a deadly border clash sent ties into a deep freeze. From Thursday, July 24, Chinese citizens can apply for tourist visas to India, the Indian embassy in Beijing said Wednesday. This 'positive news' is in the 'common interests of all parties,' China's foreign spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. 'China is willing to maintain communication and consultation with India to continuously improve the level of facilitation of personnel exchanges between the two countries.' There has been a gradual normalization of ties between India and China in recent months after relations were deeply strained in June 2020, when a brutal hand-to-hand battle in the Galwan Valley left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. Both nations maintain a heavy military presence along their 2,100-mile (3,379-kilometer) de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – a boundary that remains undefined and has been a persistent source of friction since their bloody 1962 war. The 2020 clash in the disputed region between Indian Ladakh and Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin marked the first deadly confrontation along India and China's disputed border in more than 40 years. Tensions escalated in the aftermath. India banned multiple Chinese apps, heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments and direct air routes between the two neighbors were canceled. Both countries had shut their borders to foreign tourists due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but visa restrictions continued even as global travel began to resume. China lifted tourist visa restrictions for Indian nationals in March after Beijing and New Delhi announced they would work to resume direct air travel, according to Reuters. Now India's reciprocal move is seen as a welcome move by many. 'Inbound tourism is going through tough period post Covid, so it is good for us that another market has opened,' according to Sarvjeet Sankrit, founder of the Delhi-based travel agency Ghum India Ghum (Roam India Roam), who said he saw 'lots of Chinese tourists' visit the capital before the visa ban. India lifting restrictions is 'a good thing for vehicle owners, guides, and hotel owners,' he said. 'Everyone will get more business.' Chinese national Kate Hu, whose boyfriend is from India, said she is excited at the prospect of finally being able to visit his family. The Hong Kong-based comedian had already booked tickets to visit India for his sister's wedding in April when she found out she couldn't get the visa. 'I lost a bit of money there,' Hu said. 'We had talked about getting married just to have the visa, so now I'm happy to hear I won't have to get married just for a visa,' she joked. Her boyfriend is currently in India to take care of his sick mother. 'If this (news) had come out sooner, then I could have gone with him,' she said. Pradeep K, a consultant in Delhi called India's latest move is 'a good thing,' adding 'people of India and China will get to interact more.' He said he is excited at the prospect of traveling to China to see pandas. 'Will a diplomatic move on paper change mindsets and bring people closer? Your guess is as good as mine.' India's decision to remove visa restrictions is the latest in a string of steps taken by New Delhi and Beijing to reset ties after Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last October. In January, India and China agreed to resume direct commercial flights and Beijing recently agreed to reopen Mount Kailash and Lash Manasarovar in western Tibet to Indian pilgrims for the first time in five years. Earlier this month, India's foreign minister S. Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, where the two 'took note of the recent progress made by the two sides to stabilize and rebuild ties, with priority on people-centric engagements,' according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry. There has been a 'gradual normalization of the India-China relationship,' said Harsh V. Pant, foreign policy head at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. 'There is a certain recalibration happening from both ends. But this is also a reflection that India faces a unique challenge in managing China,' he added. Despite the ongoing tensions, India is still economically dependent on China and sees 'a possibility of building an economic partnership' while making its red lines clear, Pant said. Delhi-based teacher Saurabhi Singh said while India and China have fought wars in the past, 'relations can and should change.' She added: 'We have labor, markets, manufacturing abilities and a fondness for food, tea, electronics that connect people of both countries.'
CNN
24-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Indian and Chinese travelers hail end of visa freeze between world's two most populous nations as diplomatic tensions thaw
They are the two most populous countries in the world and neighbors clamoring for more tourists, but for much of the last five years it has been difficult for Indian and Chinese nationals to vacation in each other's nations. Now that looks set to finally change as previous fractious relations between the two Asian giants finally begin to thaw. India will issue tourist visas for Chinese citizens for the first time in five years, allowing nationals from its neighboring country to freely visit each other, marking a significant reset in relations after a deadly border clash sent ties into a deep freeze. From Thursday, July 24, Chinese citizens can apply for tourist visas to India, the Indian embassy in Beijing said Wednesday. This 'positive news' is in the 'common interests of all parties,' China's foreign spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. 'China is willing to maintain communication and consultation with India to continuously improve the level of facilitation of personnel exchanges between the two countries.' There has been a gradual normalization of ties between India and China in recent months after relations were deeply strained in June 2020, when a brutal hand-to-hand battle in the Galwan Valley left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. Both nations maintain a heavy military presence along their 2,100-mile (3,379-kilometer) de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – a boundary that remains undefined and has been a persistent source of friction since their bloody 1962 war. The 2020 clash in the disputed region between Indian Ladakh and Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin marked the first deadly confrontation along India and China's disputed border in more than 40 years. Tensions escalated in the aftermath. India banned multiple Chinese apps, heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments and direct air routes between the two neighbors were canceled. Both countries had shut their borders to foreign tourists due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but visa restrictions continued even as global travel began to resume. China lifted tourist visa restrictions for Indian nationals in March after Beijing and New Delhi announced they would work to resume direct air travel, according to Reuters. Now India's reciprocal move is seen as a welcome move by many. 'Inbound tourism is going through tough period post Covid, so it is good for us that another market has opened,' according to Sarvjeet Sankrit, founder of the Delhi-based travel agency Ghum India Ghum (Roam India Roam), who said he saw 'lots of Chinese tourists' visit the capital before the visa ban. India lifting restrictions is 'a good thing for vehicle owners, guides, and hotel owners,' he said. 'Everyone will get more business.' Chinese national Kate Hu, whose boyfriend is from India, said she is excited at the prospect of finally being able to visit his family. The Hong Kong-based comedian had already booked tickets to visit India for his sister's wedding in April when she found out she couldn't get the visa. 'I lost a bit of money there,' Hu said. 'We had talked about getting married just to have the visa, so now I'm happy to hear I won't have to get married just for a visa,' she joked. Her boyfriend is currently in India to take care of his sick mother. 'If this (news) had come out sooner, then I could have gone with him,' she said. Pradeep K, a consultant in Delhi called India's latest move is 'a good thing,' adding 'people of India and China will get to interact more.' He said he is excited at the prospect of traveling to China to see pandas. 'Will a diplomatic move on paper change mindsets and bring people closer? Your guess is as good as mine.' India's decision to remove visa restrictions is the latest in a string of steps taken by New Delhi and Beijing to reset ties after Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last October. In January, India and China agreed to resume direct commercial flights and Beijing recently agreed to reopen Mount Kailash and Lash Manasarovar in western Tibet to Indian pilgrims for the first time in five years. Earlier this month, India's foreign minister S. Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, where the two 'took note of the recent progress made by the two sides to stabilize and rebuild ties, with priority on people-centric engagements,' according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry. There has been a 'gradual normalization of the India-China relationship,' said Harsh V. Pant, foreign policy head at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. 'There is a certain recalibration happening from both ends. But this is also a reflection that India faces a unique challenge in managing China,' he added. Despite the ongoing tensions, India is still economically dependent on China and sees 'a possibility of building an economic partnership' while making its red lines clear, Pant said. Delhi-based teacher Saurabhi Singh said while India and China have fought wars in the past, 'relations can and should change.' She added: 'We have labor, markets, manufacturing abilities and a fondness for food, tea, electronics that connect people of both countries.'
CNN
24-07-2025
- Business
- CNN
Indian and Chinese travelers hail end of visa freeze between world's two most populous nations as diplomatic tensions thaw
They are the two most populous countries in the world and neighbors clamoring for more tourists, but for much of the last five years it has been difficult for Indian and Chinese nationals to vacation in each other's nations. Now that looks set to finally change as previous fractious relations between the two Asian giants finally begin to thaw. India will issue tourist visas for Chinese citizens for the first time in five years, allowing nationals from its neighboring country to freely visit each other, marking a significant reset in relations after a deadly border clash sent ties into a deep freeze. From Thursday, July 24, Chinese citizens can apply for tourist visas to India, the Indian embassy in Beijing said Wednesday. This 'positive news' is in the 'common interests of all parties,' China's foreign spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. 'China is willing to maintain communication and consultation with India to continuously improve the level of facilitation of personnel exchanges between the two countries.' There has been a gradual normalization of ties between India and China in recent months after relations were deeply strained in June 2020, when a brutal hand-to-hand battle in the Galwan Valley left at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead. Both nations maintain a heavy military presence along their 2,100-mile (3,379-kilometer) de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC) – a boundary that remains undefined and has been a persistent source of friction since their bloody 1962 war. The 2020 clash in the disputed region between Indian Ladakh and Chinese-controlled Aksai Chin marked the first deadly confrontation along India and China's disputed border in more than 40 years. Tensions escalated in the aftermath. India banned multiple Chinese apps, heightened scrutiny of Chinese investments and direct air routes between the two neighbors were canceled. Both countries had shut their borders to foreign tourists due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but visa restrictions continued even as global travel began to resume. China lifted tourist visa restrictions for Indian nationals in March after Beijing and New Delhi announced they would work to resume direct air travel, according to Reuters. Now India's reciprocal move is seen as a welcome move by many. 'Inbound tourism is going through tough period post Covid, so it is good for us that another market has opened,' according to Sarvjeet Sankrit, founder of the Delhi-based travel agency Ghum India Ghum (Roam India Roam), who said he saw 'lots of Chinese tourists' visit the capital before the visa ban. India lifting restrictions is 'a good thing for vehicle owners, guides, and hotel owners,' he said. 'Everyone will get more business.' Chinese national Kate Hu, whose boyfriend is from India, said she is excited at the prospect of finally being able to visit his family. The Hong Kong-based comedian had already booked tickets to visit India for his sister's wedding in April when she found out she couldn't get the visa. 'I lost a bit of money there,' Hu said. 'We had talked about getting married just to have the visa, so now I'm happy to hear I won't have to get married just for a visa,' she joked. Her boyfriend is currently in India to take care of his sick mother. 'If this (news) had come out sooner, then I could have gone with him,' she said. Pradeep K, a consultant in Delhi called India's latest move is 'a good thing,' adding 'people of India and China will get to interact more.' He said he is excited at the prospect of traveling to China to see pandas. 'Will a diplomatic move on paper change mindsets and bring people closer? Your guess is as good as mine.' India's decision to remove visa restrictions is the latest in a string of steps taken by New Delhi and Beijing to reset ties after Chinese leader Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last October. In January, India and China agreed to resume direct commercial flights and Beijing recently agreed to reopen Mount Kailash and Lash Manasarovar in western Tibet to Indian pilgrims for the first time in five years. Earlier this month, India's foreign minister S. Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing, where the two 'took note of the recent progress made by the two sides to stabilize and rebuild ties, with priority on people-centric engagements,' according to a statement from the Indian foreign ministry. There has been a 'gradual normalization of the India-China relationship,' said Harsh V. Pant, foreign policy head at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation think tank. 'There is a certain recalibration happening from both ends. But this is also a reflection that India faces a unique challenge in managing China,' he added. Despite the ongoing tensions, India is still economically dependent on China and sees 'a possibility of building an economic partnership' while making its red lines clear, Pant said. Delhi-based teacher Saurabhi Singh said while India and China have fought wars in the past, 'relations can and should change.' She added: 'We have labor, markets, manufacturing abilities and a fondness for food, tea, electronics that connect people of both countries.'
The Independent
23-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
India to resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens
India will resume granting tourist visas to Chinese nationals from Thursday in a new step to normalise Delhi's ties with Beijing, officials announced on Wednesday. The diplomatic restoration of tourist visas comes after a gap of five years due to degradation of ties between India and China following a 2020 military clash between their troops along the disputed Himalayan border. The embassy of India in China issued a statement on Wednesday and said that Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to India after completing an online application, scheduling an appointment and personally submitting their passport and other important documents needed to obtain a visa. These documents can be submitted to the Indian visa application centres in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong province. 'Please be informed that all passport withdrawal requests for applications submitted in the India Visa Application Centre in Beijing must be accompanied by a passport withdrawal letter,' the embassy statement said. The statement was also shared on the embassy's social media platform Weibo. Indian Armed Forces and People's Liberation Army soldiers clashed in the Himalayan region's Galwan Valley in June 2020. At least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in the neighbours' first deadly military confrontation since 1975. Both armies came to blows and engaged in a physical clash over China's two tents and observation towers that India said were built on its side of the de-facto border, and which its troops set on fire after they were discovered by a patrol. About 900 soldiers of both sides were involved in the hand-to-hand combat that followed, when they beat each other with rocks and wooden sticks embedded with nails. The skirmish caused Indo-China ties to plummet to their lowest in decades as New Delhi and Beijing took steps to pause their bilateral engagements and trade. New Delhi heightened scrutiny of investments from China, banned popular Chinese mobile apps, and cut direct passenger air routes to China. According to India's defence minister Rajnath Singh, the military stand-off showed China's disregard for a two-way pact between both the countries. China suspended visas to Indian citizens and other foreigners around the same time due to the Covid-19 pandemic but lifted those restrictions in 2022, when it resumed issuing visas for students and business travellers. Tourist visas for Indian nationals remained restricted until March this year, when both countries agreed to resume direct air service. However, both Asian giants have taken steps to improve their relations in the past one year, with India and China holding several high-level talks between the top leaders – Chinese president Xi Jinping and prime minister Narendra Modi. The two met in Russia in October. In July this year, India's foreign minister told his Chinese counterpart that both countries must resolve border friction, pull back troops and avoid "restrictive trade measures" to normalise their relationship. Beijing has acknowledged Delhi's latest positive move, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun. "China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries," he said.
South China Morning Post
23-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
India to issue first tourist visas to Chinese nationals in 5 years
India will allow Chinese citizens to apply for tourist visas for the first time in five years amid ongoing efforts by the world's two most populous countries to improve relations following years of tension. The Indian embassy in Beijing said applications for tourist visas would resume on Thursday. It said applicants must complete an online form then book an in-person appointment to submit the required documents at centres in Beijing, Shanghai or Guangzhou. China's foreign ministry described the announcement as a 'positive move' that served the 'common interest' of all sides. 'China stands ready to maintain communication and coordination with India to keep facilitating people-to-people exchanges between the two countries,' Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the ministry, said on Wednesday.
