China said today that it has "no choice" but to take preventive measures like travel restrictions to contain COVID-19, as it reacted to a demonstration by stranded Indian students in front of its embassy in New Delhi.
China's response came after reports from New Delhi said several Indian students, mostly studying medicine, held a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy on Monday demanding Beijing to permit their return to rejoin their studies.
Asked for her reaction to the Indian students' demonstration in Delhi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here: "COVID-19 is still spreading in many parts of the world".
"So, in this context, the Chinese government has no choice but to take a lot of prevention and control measures," Hua said.
Given the situation, China is adjusting its measures in accordance with the evolving situation, in order to ensure the safe, healthy and orderly flow of Chinese and foreign travellers, she said.
"I want to stress that China's inbound prevention and control measures are applied to all inbound travellers, including its own citizens," she said.
Last week, Indian ambassador to China Vikram Misri criticised China's prolonged stringent travel restrictions, saying that: "We are disappointed to see an unscientific approach with regard to several problems currently being faced by Indian students, businessmen, marine crew and exporters, to name a few."
Besides over 23,000 Indian students studying in Chinese colleges, mostly medicine, hundreds of businessmen, employees, and their families have been stuck in India since last year.
The curbs also resulted in several people either losing jobs, businesses, or separation of families.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
India-China Ties At "New Starting Point": Beijing After Foreign Ministers' Meeting Chinese Student Commutes Weekly Between China and Australia For Love, Internet Shocked India, China Review Disengagement Process; Discuss Next Steps In Ties AR Rahman, Wife Saira Announce Separation After 29 Years Of Marriage Ukraine Hits Russia With Long-Range US Missile After Biden's Approval "Exposed": BJP Alleges Bitcoin Scam In Maharashtra Poll, Supriya Sule Reacts Key Seats To Watch In Jharkhand Assembly Elections Netanyahu Makes Rare Gaza Visit, Says "Hamas Will Never Rule Again" Trump Names Howard Lutnick As Commerce Secretary In Key Transition Pick Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.