Indians, Thais seeking return to China question vaccine visa rule for foreign workers

China’s announcement that it will ease entry rules for foreign workers inoculated with a Chinese-manufactured vaccine has sparked uncertainty among those raring to return to their universities and jobs, especially in countries where no Chinese vaccines are available or vaccinations are progressing slowly.

In India, where less than 3 per cent of the population has been vaccinated and the Chinese vaccine is not available, some options being discussed by Twitter users include getting vaccinated in a third country, such as the United Arab Emirates or Nepal before travelling to China. But this would incur extra costs that could run to thousands of dollars, in addition to another round of tests in the transit country and potentially being exposed to Covid-19 while travelling.

In Thailand, efforts to vaccinate half the population – about 33 million people – by the end of the year are getting off to a slow start. Thais make up the second-largest group of foreign students in China but many are now back home, with some having left the country last year before the borders closed. While Thailand has received 1 million doses from Beijing-based Sinovac, and is expecting 1 million more next month, it has only vaccinated about 60,000 people to date, including with AstraZeneca shots.