India now has no conceptual problem in procuring oxygen-related equipment and life-saving medicines from China. It is a major policy shift.

India has now started accepting aid from foreign nations as the country reels under a massive shortage of oxygen, drugs and related equipment amid a huge surge in Covid-19 cases. It’s a marked change from the policy of the last 16 years since the UPA government decided not to accept aid from foreign sources. So far, more than 20 countries have come forward to help India, from neighbours to major powers, including China.

While China announced its intention to supply medical supplies and oxygen concentrators, nothing is reaching on the grounds as China's state-run Sichuan Airlines has suspended all its cargo flights to India for 15 days, causing major disruption to private traders' efforts to procure the much-needed oxygen concentrators and other medical supplies. Chinese manufacturers have also hiked the prices of medical supplies to India.

China's Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong tweeted on April 28 that "Chinese medical suppliers are working overtime on orders from India, at least 25000 orders for oxygen concentrators in recent days. Cargo planes are under plan for medical supplies. Chinese customs will facilitate relevant process."

But the tweet came a day after the United States President Joe Biden said the country was sending a whole series of help that India needed for its battle against the pandemic. "We are sending immediately a whole series of help that he needs, including providing for those Remdesivir and other drugs that are able to deal with this," Joe Biden told reporters at a White House news conference on April 27.

The United States also agreed to transfer the raw materials needed to make vaccines to India, several days after Serum Institute's CEO Adar Poonawalla tweeted to President Biden requesting to lift the embargo on their export. 

The Russians too were quickly in the fray to support India at the time of its need. During a conversation of Wednesday between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian side decided to fly 22 tonnes of emergency supplies to fight Covind-19, to India. By first light on Thursday, two plane loads marshalled by the Russian emergencies’ ministry had landed in New Delhi. The Chinese track record so far does not compare favourably.

China's state-controlled media last week took a swipe over the United States' alleged delay in sending help to the COVID-ravaged nation. It claimed India's closeness with the west was fragile and superficial.

The Chinese laid bare its duplicity during a media briefing held by the Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin on April 26 where he refused to answer questions related to the suspension of cargo flights by the Sichuan Airlines and hiking of prices. Wang had declined to react to the pointed questions related to these queries. About Chinese manufacturers hiking prices of the medical supplies to India, he said that on "India’s readiness to buy medical supplies from China, I understand this is a commercial activity. If India raises specific demands, China is ready to provide help and support to the best of capability."

The suspension of cargo flights came as a surprise to agents and freight forwarders who are frantically trying to procure oxygen concentrators from China. Suspension of flights also came as a surprise to the Indian officials as it came in the backdrop of official statements offering support and assistance to India.

There are also complaints of Chinese manufacturers jacking up the prices by 35 to 40 per cent. The freight charges have been increased to over 20 per cent, according to the logistics industry sources. The Chinese suppliers resorted to the inhuman practice of heavy jacking up of prices to cash in on the pandemic emergency.

The Sichuan Airlines decision to cancel flights has caused severe disruption to attempts by private traders in both countries to secure quick supplies of the Oxygen concentrators to rush to India given the dire situation. Now, it becomes very challenging to rush the supplies as they have to be rerouted through Singapore and other countries through different airlines, which delays the much-needed supplies, as per logistics freight forwarding sources.

The suspension of the flights owing to the coronavirus situation in India is surprising as there is no crew change in India and the same crew flies the aircraft back, an industry insider said. There are also virtually no Indians travelling to China from India other than diplomats as China has suspended visas for Indians since November and flights remained banned.

But, the Chinese cargo flights besides the shipping services have been operational throughout the pandemic rushing supplies of lucrative mobile phone equipment as well as a lot of other Chinese exports to India.

It is therefore ironic that in his letter of April 29 to the Externail Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, Chinese foreign minister and state councillor Wang Yi wrote that, “Anti-pandemic materials produced in China are entering India at a faster pace to help India fight the epidemic.” Wang further added that “The Chinese side will continue to do its utmost to provide support and help according to the needs of India.”

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