In a major development to mitigate the problems of Indian students, China on Friday said it was planning to permit the return of “some” of these students to educational institutions there.

As per reports, over 23,000 Indian students, mostly studying medicine in Chinese colleges, are stuck in India after they returned home as the coronavirus broke out in China in December 2019. They could not return to China due to the restrictions imposed there to arrest the spread of the contagion.

China’s move came a day after India said it was not issuing visas to Chinese nationals due to a surge in corona cases in some Chinese cities, including Shanghai. The Indian measure was viewed as a tit for tat to the Chinese refusal to allow the Indian students to return to their institutions.

The issue was discussed during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar here last month. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing there that “China attaches high importance to Indian students’ concerns about returning to China for studies. We have shared with the Indian sides the procedures and experience of other countries’ students returning to China”.

“Actually, the work for Indian students’ return has already been started. All that remains to be done is for the Indian side to provide the list of students who really need to come back to China,” he said.

The spokesman also said, “We understand that there is a large number of Indian students studying in China. India may need some time to collect the names. China is ready to receive some of the Indian students under the current complicated severe epidemic situation. In handling, foreign students returning to China for studies, we need to take into consideration the international epidemic situation, the evolving circumstances, and their majors. This principle applies equally to all foreign students.”

Asked about the timeline to permit the return of Indian students, Zhao said the Chinese embassy in India and existing channels will work to facilitate and offer convenience to the students.

To another question about whether China has provided any criteria to India to select students to return, Zhao said: “I don’t have the information about the specifics you asked but I am sure these details will be sorted out through communication through existing channels including the embassy so that we will actually deliver the good news”.

Following the Chinese announcement, the Indian Embassy here sought the details of the students intending to return. “Following the meeting of External Affairs Minister of India, Dr S Jaishankar with the State Councillor and Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi on 25 March 2022, the Chinese side has expressed its willingness to consider facilitating the return of Indian students to China on a need-assessed basis,” the Indian Embassy in Beijing said in a statement.

“In order to facilitate this (return), the Indian Embassy intends to prepare a list of such students which will be shared with the Chinese side for their consideration. Therefore, Indian students are requested to provide necessary information by filling up the Google Form at this link (https://forms.Gle/MJmgByc7BrJj9MPv7), latest by 08 May 2022,” it said.

“Once the collated information is shared with the Chinese side, they would consult relevant Chinese departments to verify the list and indicate whether the identified students can travel to China to complete the course,” the statement said. This coordination process would be carried out in a time-bound manner, it said.

The Chinese side has also conveyed that eligible students should unconditionally abide by the Covid-19 prevention measures, and agree to bear all expenses related to COVID-19 prevention measures by themselves, it said.

Justifying New Delhi’s decision to not issue visas to Chinese nationals, ministry of external affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi had said on Thursday China has also not issued visas to Indians since 2020.

Making India’s stand clear, he said here “we are aware of the COVID situation in Chinese cities like Shanghai...Not the opportune time for resumption of issuance of tourist visas for China.”

He also said, “China themselves have not issued visas to us; have suspended (visa issuance to India) since 2020...Not the right time to discuss the issuance of tourist visas for China.”