ISLAMABAD: Graduate students from Pakistan are now returning to China under the new visa policy introduced by Beijing which came into effect on August 24
Bilal Khan, a PhD scholar at East China Normal University in Shanghai, returned to China after the introduction of the new policy. He said that he flew from Islamabad over the weekend for Xi’an where he was to spend a seven-day mandatory quarantine in a hotel before departing for Shanghai.
“The situation was normal and the authorities were very cooperative. The students are required to comply with the quarantine protocols and cooperate with the authorities for a hassle-free experience,” he said.
Khan said that on board the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) flight to Xian, he was accompanied by another Pakistani student while the majority of the passengers were post-doctorate scholars who also possessed work visas.
He first shared the news of his departure for Xi’an under the new policy on social media. Several students while commenting on his post shared that they were also at different stages of the process.
The students said their respective institutions had contacted them to inform they were making preparations for the students’ early return as per the new policy guidelines of the Chinese government.
The students while expressing enthusiasm over the new visa policy also hailed Ji Rong, Counsellor at Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, for her efforts to ensure the return of the international students to China.
Khan is guiding fellow Pakistani students regarding obtaining No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for return to China, the health declaration card, quarantine procedures and ticketing information.
Ji Rong, while commenting on Khan’s post, expressed pleasure over his return to China and wished him good luck.
She is also interacting with Pakistani students through social media and responding to their questions regarding the new student visa policy, which is drawing appreciation from aspirant students.
