Insta
China Asks Last Indian Journalist Stationed There To Leave This Month
Swarajya News Staff
Jun 12, 2023, 01:20 PM | Updated 01:20 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
The last Indian journalist has been instructed to leave China. This move comes as both countries have expelled each other's reporters in a tit-for-tat row.
The Chinese authorities have instructed the Press Trust of India reporter to leave the country promptly this month, Bloomberg News has reported.
As per a reliable source, the exit of the Indian reporter would entirely erase India's media presence in China.
Earlier this year, Indian media had stationed four reporters in China. However, the Hindustan Times reporter departed over the weekend.
In April, China refused to renew visas for two journalists from public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and The Hindu newspaper, which means India has no reporters stationed in China anymore.
According to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning, there is only one Chinese journalist remaining in India, who is still awaiting the renewal of their visa.
However, earlier this year, New Delhi denied visa renewal applications for two journalists from Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television.
Although the Indian government claimed that Chinese journalists were operating without any issues in the country, Indian journalists in China were facing difficulties. The government stated that both countries were in touch regarding the matter.
The visa dispute began a few months ago over Indian journalists hiring assistants in China to aid reporting, as per unnamed Indian officials familiar with the issue.
Beijing enforced measures limiting hiring to three individuals at a time from a pool provided by the Chinese authorities, while India does not have a hiring cap.
Since a deadly brawl on the Himalayan frontier in 2020, Beijing and New Delhi's relationship has been tense.
Although China has attempted to compartmentalise that dispute from the overall relationship and prioritise trade and commercial ties, India has stated that relations cannot return to normal until the border issue is resolved.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Support Swarajya's 50 Ground Reports Project & Sponsor A Story
Every general election Swarajya does a 50 ground reports project.
Aimed only at serious readers and those who appreciate the nuances of political undercurrents, the project provides a sense of India's electoral landscape. As you know, these reports are produced after considerable investment of travel, time and effort on the ground.
This time too we've kicked off the project in style and have covered over 30 constituencies already. If you're someone who appreciates such work and have enjoyed our coverage please consider sponsoring a ground report for just Rs 2999 to Rs 19,999 - it goes a long way in helping us produce more quality reportage.
You can also back this project by becoming a subscriber for as little as Rs 999 - so do click on this links and choose a plan that suits you and back us.
Click below to contribute.