Monday, June 04, 2012

China advisory against India travel is tit-for-tat, say sources

Beijing: China has cautioned its citizens against travelling to India because of protests held in different cities over the increase in petrol prices. However, sources in  Delhi say they believe China's travel advisory is in retaliation for the Indian government's warning to traders to avoid doing business in the Chinese trading hub of Yiwu. However, the sources said, "both sides are mature enough to handle this."

An advisory has been posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website as well as Chinese Embassy in New Delhi dated June 1 which warned about travel disruptions due to protests.

"According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees," China says on its Foreign Ministy website, as well as that of its embassy in Delhi. "The Chinese Embassy in India would like to alert the Chinese citizens about this and request them to confirm their itinerary with related agencies to avoid delays....at the same time, during this period, they should be careful about personal safety and safeguard their personal belongings," it adds.

The advisory comes on the eve of a visit to Beijing by India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for June 6 and 7.

Beijing: China has cautioned its citizens against travelling to India because of protests held in different cities over the increase in petrol prices. However, sources in  Delhi say they believe China's travel advisory is in retaliation for the Indian government's warning to traders to avoid doing business in the Chinese trading hub of Yiwu. However, the sources said, "both sides are mature enough to handle this."

An advisory has been posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website as well as Chinese Embassy in New Delhi dated June 1 which warned about travel disruptions due to protests.

"According to Indian media reports, many places in India are witnessing protests and strikes due to the recent hike in oil prices. Railways and highway transport have either come to a halt due to strikes or have been impacted to different degrees," China says on its Foreign Ministy website, as well as that of its embassy in Delhi. "The Chinese Embassy in India would like to alert the Chinese citizens about this and request them to confirm their itinerary with related agencies to avoid delays....at the same time, during this period, they should be careful about personal safety and safeguard their personal belongings," it adds.

The advisory comes on the eve of a visit to Beijing by India's External Affairs Minister SM Krishna. He is participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled for June 6 and 7.

In January, Indian traders were held hostage in Yiwu over bills that had not been settled by their companies. The incident provoked diplomatic intervention. While one trader was released and returned home a fortnight ago, two others remain stranded in Shanghai fighting their case in a Chinese court.

Indian businessmen are reported to have transacted about USD two billion last year, buying massive supplies of Chinese goods for Indian markets.

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