India to Resume Issuing Tourist Visas to Chinese Citizens from 24 July, Ending Five-Year Suspension.
International
In a significant diplomatic development, India will restart issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens from 24 July 2025, ending a nearly five-year suspension imposed following the 2020 Galwan border clash and the COVID‑19 pandemic.
- The visa halt began in early March 2020, when tourist visas were suspended amidst escalating tensions after a deadly military confrontation in eastern Ladakh. Subsequent restrictions included bans on Chinese apps, tighter scrutiny on investments, and curtailed direct flights. Although business and student visas were gradually reinstated—China resumed issuing them in 2022—tourism remained off limits until this week’s announcement.
- The decision follows a series of diplomatic dialogues in 2024–25 aimed at thawing relations. High-level officials negotiated resumption of direct flights, the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage, and visa liberalization for smoother people-to-people exchanges.
Main Point :- (i) Starting 24 July, Chinese nationals can apply online through Indian Visa Application Centres (IVACs) in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. Applicants must complete an online form and submit documents in person; a formal withdrawal letter is required if passports are retracted from the Beijing centre.
(ii) China welcomed India's move, with its Foreign Ministry stating it is prepared to strengthen bilateral communication and people-to-people exchanges. India emphasized that full normalization will require resolving military friction, troop disengagement, and avoiding restrictive trade policies.
(iii) This rollback is expected to revive tourism, bolster cultural exchanges, and repair economic ties. There are hopes that this gesture will support future cooperation during high-level engagements, including a potential visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to China during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
About China
President: Xi Jinping
Official languages: Mandarin, Putonghua
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