Why China Grants Stapled Visas to Residents of Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir?

China's practice of issuing "stapled visas" to Indians from Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir has become a contentious issue between the two countries. The recent incident of China providing such visas to Indian players selected for the World University Games sparked a strong protest from India. The three players from Arunachal Pradesh were reportedly barred from traveling as a result of these stapled visas issued by China.

What is a Stapled visa?

A stapled visa is a unique type of travel document provided by China to Indian residents from disputed regions. The issuance of these visas is closely linked to China's territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir, which it regards as part of Tibet and thus its own territory. Instead of being stamped on the passport, these visas are attached as pamphlets or sheets and can be easily removed once the individual's trip is concluded.

When the visitor leaves the country, his visa and entry and exit stamps are torn out, leaving no record on his passport. Stapled Visa is countries which are hostile to each other.

However, this is not the first time China has employed this tactic to restrict the movement of Indian athletes from the aforementioned regions. In previous instances, Chinese authorities granted stapled visas to Indian sports teams, resulting in denial of entry and disrupting their participation in international events.

In 2009, China also started giving stapled visas to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.

In 2011, five members of an Indian karate team were stopped at the IGI Airport in Delhi because they had been issued stapled visas by China. The team was scheduled to travel to China's Quanzhou region for a tournament. The players were eventually allowed to travel to China, but only after the Indian government intervened.

In 2013, two archers from Arunachal Pradesh, Maselo Mihu and Sorang Yumi, were stopped at the IGI Airport in a similar fashion. The archers were scheduled to travel to China to participate in the Archery Youth World Championships. The players were eventually allowed to travel to China, but only after the Indian government intervened.

In 2016, Bamang Tago, the manager of the Indian Badminton Team and a resident of Arunachal Pradesh, faced difficulties in obtaining a visa to tour China for the China Open Superseries tournament.

The Indian government has consistently raised the matter with China through diplomatic channels. On several occasions, Indian authorities expressed their concerns to the Chinese government. The Ministry of External Affairs conveyed India's stance that there should be no discrimination against visa applicants of Indian nationality based on their domicile or ethnicity. This position is reinforced by a Memorandum of Understanding on Simplifying Visa Procedures signed between the two countries in June 2003, which both sides are expected to uphold.

Despite comprehensive and substantive discussions held between the Indian and Chinese officials, the issue remains unresolved. Even during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Beijing in June 2015, the matter of stapled visas for Indians from Arunachal Pradesh was raised, but a satisfactory resolution was not achieved.