China has not ordered strict limits on the sale of air tickets to passengers from several Middle Eastern and Muslim countries, the Chinese embassy in Riyadh said in statements published Monday, cited by AFP.
Meanwhile, the Cairo-based Al Gomhuria quoted the foreign ministry as saying it has received no official memo on the decision, adding that China welcomes Egyptian visitors.
"This information is false. Travelers from different countries are welcome on aircraft of Chinese aviation companies," the embassy said, stressing the need for travelers to have valid entry visas.
Travel agents in Beijing said Saturday the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) issued a notice limiting air ticket sales in light of the worldwide terror scare triggered by the September 11 attacks in the United States.
The move follows previous indications that the Chinese government, desperate to prevent security gaffes, had also restricted the issuance of visas to people from Middle Eastern countries.
But the Chinese foreign ministry said late Saturday that some carriers had gone too far in interpreting the government's policies.
An official at a Beijing ticketing office said the CAAC's restrictions were mainly aimed at passengers from Muslim countries wishing to buy tickets for either North America or Europe, said AFP..
According to the notice, the countries included Afghanistan, Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Kuwait, Sudan, Libya and Algeria.
Also included were, under certain unspecified circumstances, passengers from Pakistan, according to the notice published by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper, cited by the agency.
A diplomatic source told Al Gomhuria that China has vowed to facilitate trips by Egyptians who intend to attend trade expos in the Asian country – Albawaba.com
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