The story appears on

Page A2

February 4, 2017

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeNation

SK stops issuing visa for Chinese teachers

CHINA’S foreign ministry said yesterday that it hoped the government-funded Confucius Institute could continue to play a role in South Korea after the government there said it had stopped issuing visas for some Chinese teachers.

The visa decision comes amid anger in China at the planned deployment of an advanced US anti-missile system in South Korea, which it says is to defend against North Korea, but which China says threatens its security, as its radar could extend into China.

China says its Confucius Institutes around the world are established by universities to promote Chinese-language learning and academic and cultural exchanges.

South Korea’s justice ministry said the visa decision had nothing to do with THAAD, as the anti-missile system is known. Its foreign ministry said the measure to stop issuing or extending visas had been implemented last June for practical reasons based on its immigration control law.

In Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said the institutes were set up at the request of South Korean universities, and South Korea had an obligation to ensure the correct visa procedures were followed.

The affected institutes were in touch with the South Korean government to sort the matter out, Lu said, adding that China hoped they could continue to help South Koreans learn Chinese and play a positive role in increasing mutual trust and friendship.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend