Foreign ministry proposes visa-on-arrival facility for Chinese tourists

NEW DELHI: The foreign ministry is proposing visa-on-arrival facility to Chinese tourists as well as relaxing the existing security restrictions to ensure more investment from that country.

The move comes three months after Chinese President Xi Jinping’s India visit, during which the two countries signed about a dozen agreements to boost bilateral trade and commerce.

Officials told ET that India’s ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha specifically pitched for the two steps in a meeting in Delhi with Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami on January 6. Kantha is said to have asked for visa-on-arrival scheme to be extended to Chinese tourists, have an easier visa regime for other kinds of visas like conference and business visas as well as discussed prospects of more Chinese investment in India in various sectors.

Goswami again met Kantha in the presence of Intelligence Bureau Director Dineshwar Singh and Research & Analysis Wing chief Rajinder Khanna on Friday regarding the same issue, where the two intelligence agencies are said to have flagged various concerns regarding opening up critical sectors to Chinese investment.

These set of meetings come just before the visit of US President Barack Obama to India as the chief guest of the Republic Day celebrations.

“It is imperative that India needs to relax the regime to get more investment and tourists from China,” a senior official said. India has extended online visa-on-arrival facility to 43 countries, including the US, South and Australia.