An Air China flight at Beijing's international airport (representational image)
China will ply flights to help its citizens stranded in India and facing difficulties to return to the mainland from June 2, as per a tentative schedule published on the website of Chinese Embassy in New Delhi on Monday. According to the official press release, the flight service could be availed by international students, tourists and temporary business-visa holders among others who have been facing a hard time in India.
The notice comes in the backdrop of a rising number of coronavirus cases in India and the ongoing face-off with troops from China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Leh region.
India entered the club of 10 countries worst-hit by coronavirus, with the total number of infections approaching 1.40 lakh. According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, at least 4,021 deaths have been recorded due to coronavirus since the first case was detected in the southern state of Kerala on Jan 30. Incidentally, India’s first coronavirus patient had been diagnosed with coronavirus after returning from Wuhan, the fountainhead of the global outbreak.
As per the tentative schedule of flights released by the embassy, Chinese airlines will operate flights on June 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8.
As per the instructions for returning Chinese nationals, the airfare and the cost of quarantine will be borne by the passengers.
“Once a passenger who conceals his illness and contact history or finds that he has taken antipyretics and other inhibitory drugs during the quarantine inspection is found, he will be held liable for the crime of endangering public safety,” said the notice.
“According to India's anti-epidemic measures, it may not be possible to return to India within a short period of time after leaving India. It is recommended to carefully evaluate and make a careful decision,” it also said.
It is unclear at this stage as to how many Chinese nationals are in India at present.
