China resumes international flights after two years

Beijing: After a two-year-long ban, China has lifted the ban on international flights.

The quarantine time for those arriving in the country is now reduced to seven days in designated hotels. This will be followed by three-day isolation at home.

However, there haven't been any statements regarding resuming air services to India. Beijing lifted the visa ban for Indian professionals and their families last month. However, they did not have direct flights between the two countries to travel.

After imposing a ban in November 2020, China is now processing the list of hundreds of Indian students wanting to return to the country to re-join their colleges. Over 23,000 Indian students are enrolled in Chinese universities and unable to attend offline classes.

In the last few weeks, students from Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Russia, and several other countries have been arriving in China on chartered flights. Indian students are stuck because travelling via a third country is very expensive.

The state-run Global Times noted that the policy change related to quarantine has increased the number of flights connecting China with other countries and the number of people travelling abroad. It is being hailed as a sign that the country should further re-open its borders.

Official media reported that China is making one of the biggest adjustments since the pandemic started. "Its embassies and consulates in 125 countries announced policies to streamline procedures for people entering the Chinese mainland. 2,025 inbound passenger flights are set to resume from early this week".