China's COVID-19 restrictions on international travel will be lifted from Sunday, January 8 – and it's a move widely welcomed by overseas Chinese students.

Authorities will cancel the need for arrivals from outside China to undergo nucleic acid tests for COVID-19, show proof of a national health pass and quarantine upon arrival for a minimum of 10 days.

The Chinese Civil Aviation Administration has also announced it would prudently resume the operations of international flights.

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The adjustment was widely welcomed by the Chinese students studying overseas. CGTN talked to students from Oxford University, University College of London, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), and Queen Mary University of London about what the news means for them.

"It has brought quite a lot of convenience for us, and saved money," said Shao Zhenyang from LSE, who has not been able to travel back home for 18 months.

"Definitely more flexibility in travel and traveling plans," said Zhang Ruihua, who is now pursuing her PhD studies at Oxford University. Zhang explained that the previous quarantine rules and her holiday allowance from study meant a return to China had not been feasible until now.

Many students have mentioned that they have made plans to go home just before the Spring Festival, the biggest annual festival in China, while some will wait until graduation in June.

When speaking to CGTN about returning home, many of them have expressed how much they have missed the comforts of life in China.

"I really miss my grandma, who always made me milk tea in the morning," said Zhang Bowen, who is from the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Yang Qi revealed she had been missing her little brother, who recently tested positive for COVID-19: "I hope he gets better soon." 

Besides families and friends, the desire to taste traditional home-cooked food was also strong. Yang Qi from Xinjiang talked of her love of 'big plate chicken' or 'Da Pan Ji,' while other delicacies being warmly anticipated include Jiangsu fried Nanjing duck – and of course Zhang's grandmother's milk tea.