Glimmer of hope as Thai students “enter China”
Published 18/03/2022
There are hopes that some sort of plan has been made by the Chinese government to allow international students back into the country as a cohort of Thai students have reportedly “arrived in Shanghai”.
The community on Twitter that represents a group of international students currently waiting to return to the Asian country said they received some “reliable information” that some Thai students were able to enter.
“Information from a reliable source has it that approved students on the Thai government list have arrived in Shanghai and are currently undergoing quarantine,” the accounted tweeted.
We have received some reliable information that students from Thailand have arrived in Shanghai & are in quarantine.
They are not able to speak out publicly for obvious reasons.
Is there any other country with such a list of students able to return to?#takeUsBackToChina pic.twitter.com/g9klLbBLP5
— China International Student Union (@takeusbacktoCHN) March 14, 2022
“These students are not able to comment on this matter for obvious reasons… we are currently observing the situation,” it read.
The account’s news was followed by an announcement that the spokesperson for the Chinese foreign ministry said that China will be “allowing a small number of students into China”.
“These students are not able to comment on this matter for obvious reasons”
It is unconfirmed as to whether the Thai students entering the country were part of this announced strategy.
The news comes after it was found some weeks ago that China was then the “only country” to not have put provisions in place to have students return, following Japan’s phased reopening announcement at the beginning of March.
“We’ve got positive signs for students being able to return here,” Rich Coward of China Admissions told The PIE.
China Admissions also made a statement regarding the news, calling it the first time the “issue of students’ return is concretely confirmed” by the Chinese government, indicating a “high degree of confidence and coordination of a plan” to bring students back.
“The students concerned must strictly comply with China’s epidemic prevention protocols”
“On the basis of ensuring safety, it is coordinating arrangement for a small number of foreign students with actual needs to return to China in light of the changing international epidemic situation and the characteristics of the students’ majors,” foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a press conference.
“The students concerned must strictly comply with China’s epidemic prevention protocols,” he also noted during the announcement.
China Admissions in its statement said that more opening is “likely to come” after Zhao said the government will be “actively exploring feasible options” to gradually arrange returns in an “orderly fashion”.
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