New Delhi, August 6 - India has issued over 26,000 business visas in China so far in 2009, parliament was told Thursday.

Minister of State for External Affairs Preneet Kaur said India had issued 26,014 visas till June 2009.

Last year, India had issued the largest number of business visas to Chinese nationals at 58,658, witnessing an increase of 21 percent from the previous year, the minister told the Rajya Sabha.

In fact, from 15,979 visas issued in 2004, there has been a 267 percent increase of business visas to Chinese nationals.