The Indian students pursuing their studies in China will now be able to attend their classes on the campus as Chinese authorities have allowed the Indian students to travel to China conditionally.

The Indian embassy in China has said that students can now return on a need-assessed basis. This would mean that not all students would be able to go back.

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“China attaches high importance to Indian students’ concerns about returning to China for studies. We have shared with the Indian side the procedures and experience of other countries’ students returning to China,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told media in Beijing.

However, the Chinese are taking extra caution and would screen the students wanting to return to the Chinese universities.

“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 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, evolving circumstances, and their majors. This principle applies equally to all foreign students,” Zhao said.

This is a big relief for the Indian students who were studying in China but asked to leave after the Covid-19 struck China two years back. The students were stuck as even after the situation eased the Chinese government did not allow the Indian students to return, seriously jeopardizing their studies and career. The students even ran a Twitter campaign to push for their return.

The return has been made possible after the Indian government took the matter with the Chinese authorities and even canceled the tourist visas of Chinese nationals. The external affairs minister S Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on March 22 after which the Chinese agreed to end the blanket ban on Indian students’ return.

The good news however comes with a caveat as not all of the students might not be able to go back as the Chinese authorities would still have the last say on their return. The students would have to fill out a form and give details of their course etc. so that the Chinese can take a call on their case. There are no guarantees and the return itself is conditional.