Visas not denied to India Foundation researchers: China

China said today that it has not denied visas to members of a delegation of the India Foundation, a think tank with links to the BJP, which was to travel to Fudan University in Shanghai next week.
Xie Liyan, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, said the delegation will visit China as scheduled and reports that two of foundation's junior researchers were denied visas and the visit has been cancelled were "not true".
"As far as I know, all seven members of the India Foundation delegation to visit China got their visas in time. None of the visa application was denied. The delegation will visit China as scheduled.

"The Chinese side always welcomes and supports the exchanges of think tanks between China and India," Xie said in a statement put out on the embassy's website.
India Foundation Director and BJP general secretary Ram Madhav had yesterday said visa to two researchers were denied by China.
His announcement came amid the standoff between the Indian and the Chinese armies near Sikkim sector.
"I was not in the delegation. It was supposed to be an academic delegation. After the denial of visa to two researchers, Foundation called off the visit," Madhav had tweeted yesterday.