India refutes China’s charge that it discriminates against Chinese journalists

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs had informed two journalists — including The Hindu’s correspondent based in Beijing — both of whom were in India at the time, that their visas were being “frozen”. On Thursday, China’s MFA said that it had decided to take “counter-measures” after India denied several visas, and granted only short-term, single-entry visas to other journalists.

India and China continued to spar over visas for journalists in each other’s countries, even as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that the two sides are holding talks on the issue.

On Tuesday, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) had informed two journalists — including The Hindu’s correspondent based in Beijing — both of whom were in India at the time, that their visas were being “frozen”. On Thursday, China’s MFA said that it had decided to take “counter-measures” after India denied several visas, and granted only short-term, single-entry visas to other journalists. However, the MEA rejected the Chinese statement, adding that Chinese journalists in India face no “difficulties” in reporting in India.

“Chinese journalists have suffered unfair and discriminatory treatment in India for a long time,” Chinese MFA spokesperson Mao Ning said, citing incidents in 2017 and 2021, when journalists belonging to state-owned Xinhua and CGTN had their visas curtailed or cancelled.

“A few days ago, the Indian side asked a journalist of the Xinhua News Agency to leave the country by March 31, citing the reason that he had been in the country for six years,” Ms. Mao added. The MFA spokesperson also compared India’s visa policy for Chinese journalists unfavourably with China’s policy for Indian journalists, adding that China offers journalists one-year multiple-entry visas while India only offers a three-month visa, an issue that Beijing says it has raised with Delhi on a number of occasions.

“Regrettably, however, the Indian side ignored this and even went further down the wrong path. Considering this, the Chinese side has no choice but to take appropriate counter-measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese media organisations,” she said.

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When asked about the cases cited, the MEA spokesperson did not deny that the government had asked a Xinhua journalist to leave the country this year, contending that it was “not appropriate” to comment on India’s visa policy or speak about specific cases.