NEW DELHI/BEIJING : Even as two giant Asian economic powers China and India talk of widening and deepening their ties, a “byzantine” visa regime is still deterring the Chinese businessman to take a flight to India, a pro-government Chinese Daily has lamented in an analysis.
However, the paper also praises Prime Minster Narendra Modi for liberalising the visa regime “braving objections” and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for taking bold steps to ease border tensions through dialogue with China and adds a friendly visa regime was a “low hanging fruit” that must be grabbed by the two sides aching to become friends again.
“When it comes to China, India’s diplomatic distrust results from the border warfare back in the 1960s and the lingering disputes add an extra layer of complicity. This has rendered China a particular target for the recalcitrant Indian officials.
For example, India’s security establishments were explicitly against extending a more accessible visa to Chinese citizens, fearing the latter’s ‘espionage’ and ‘visa misuses’ might compromise India’s security,” Shi Lancha, a Tsinghua University scholar, wrote in an op-ed “Byzantine Red Tape Holds Up Sino-Indian Ties” in Global Times, an English language version of Chinese government mouthpiece People’s Daily. (AGENCIES)
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel