<span style="color: #222222;">China yet again remains ambivalent on the return of Indian students to their Chinese universities even as it decides for early resumption of return of students from ASEAN countries now after allowing students from South Korea and a few other countries earlier. Joint statement of ASEAN-China special virtual Summit to commemorate the 30th anniversary of ASEAN-China dialogue relations held on Monday said the two sides will continue to enhance cooperation on education, including the early resumption of entry into China by the international students from ASEAN member states in a healthy, safe and orderly way.<br />''<br />''Asked if China will extend the same facility of the entry of international students from India and other South Asian countries who have been waiting for their return to China since last year, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian parried the question on Tuesday. The Chinese government attaches great importance to the issue of foreign students coming to China for their studies.<br />''<br />'' Based on ensuring safety amid COVID-19, we will consider in a coordinated manner the arrangement for allowing foreign students to return to China for their studies, he dished out the oft-repeated official Chinese stance. We stand ready to work actively towards healthy, safe, and orderly cross-border flow of people on the basis of sound epidemic prevention and control measures, he added without giving any tentative timeline for their return.<br />''<br />''In the beginning of this month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry again refused to give any concrete response to a similar question that Chambers of commerce from America and Australia have reported that local government authorities in Beijing and a few other Chinese cities are now issuing PU letters for the dependent family members of qualified foreign workers and will this benefit be extended to India as well. <br />''<br />''Besides over 23,000 Indian students studying in Chinese colleges, mostly medicine, hundreds of businessmen, employees, and their families have been stuck in India since last year due to Beijing's stringent COVID-19 travel restrictions. The restrictions also resulted in several people either losing jobs, businesses, or separation of families. In September, India's Ambassador to China Vikram Misri also criticized China's prolonged stringent travel restrictions saying that "we are disappointed to see an unscientific approach with regard to several problems currently being faced by Indian students, businessmen, marine crew and exporters, to name a few."</span><br />