NEW DELHI: China on Friday said that they had issued 180000 visas to Indians in 2023 and were hoping to expect reciprocity from India for issuing visas to Chinese citizens.
"More than 180000 visas have been issued by China to Indian citizens during 2023. During the past year the Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in India have taken many steps to enable Indians to get visas," said Wang Xiaojian, Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India.
China has also stated that in order to facilitate ease of getting visas they removed online visa appointments, exempted some categories from fingerprints and also offered temporary fees reduction.
"It is sincerely hoped that the India side would resume normal visa channels for Chinese citizens wanting to travel to India at the earliest possible. This will promote people to people exchange and also promote cultural exchange between India and China," Xiaojian added.