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Mumbai trade union claims China is banning Indian seafarers from entering the country

The government in India as well as international shipmanagers contacted by Splash have sought to play down claims by a Mumbai-based trade union that Beijing has put an unofficial ban on Indian seafarers entering Chinese ports.

The All India Seafarer & General Workers Union has sent a letter to the minister for ports, shipping and waterways, also posted via Twitter, claiming that around 20,000 seafarers are stuck at home in India thanks to a ban of sorts instituted since March this year by Chinese officials on ships arriving with Indian crews.

India’s shipping minister has denied there is any form of a Chinese ban in place while international shipmanagers contacted by Splash today say that ships with Indian crew calling China are not being turned away.

Sam Chambers

Starting out with the Informa Group in 2000 in Hong Kong, Sam Chambers became editor of Maritime Asia magazine as well as East Asia Editor for the world’s oldest newspaper, Lloyd’s List. In 2005 he pursued a freelance career and wrote for a variety of titles including taking on the role of Asia Editor at Seatrade magazine and China correspondent for Supply Chain Asia. His work has also appeared in The Economist, The New York Times, The Sunday Times and The International Herald Tribune.

Comments

  1. In reciprocity, Indian Shipowners must stop dry- docking & repairs of their ships at Communist China shipyards. China makes billions profit through these. Why is ICS, ILO, ITF etc silent over these?

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