Faced with increasing instances of work permits for India being rejected on security considerations, China is planning to take up the matter with the Indian government during the visit of its President Hu Jintao to New Delhi in the third week of November.
Beijing feels the restrictions on travel is coming in the way of closer trade ties between the two, which is nudging $2 billion a month. Both sides are expected to finalise a framework agreement for a regional trade pact during Hu's visit, which is expected to boost bilateral trade to $40 billion a year.
According to sources in the ministry of external affairs, the Chinese side has indicated that recent instances where visas had been delayed for 2,000 Chinese workers, who were to work on the Reliance pipeline in the Krishna-Godavari basin and to around 20 Chinese technicians at the Apache special economic zone in Andhra Pradesh have been noted by them.
"The visas had been delayed on security grounds by the home ministry. The ministry of external affairs has no objections to Chinese workers coming here," said an external affairs ministry official.
"There has been a relaxation subsequent to these cases, but certainly, when the Chinese president talks of increasing trade ties he is going to talk of obstacles being faced by Chinese businessmen and workers," he said.
Officials said New Delhi was working on a proposal to allow local visa extension for Chinese workers already in India.
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