In Tit-For-Tat Move, China Tells Last Indian Journalist To Leave This Month

International

oi-Deepika S

The last Indian journalist in China has been asked to leave Beijing this month, amid deepening a rift between the Asian economic powerhouses.

In a tit-for-tat move, the Chinese authorities have instructed the Press Trust of India reporter to leave the country promptly this month, Bloomberg News has reported.

The exit of the Indian reporter would entirely erase India’s media presence in China.

“Indian media outlets had four reporters based in China. The Hindustan Times reporter left over the weekend, while two journalists from public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and The Hindu newspaper were denied visa renewals in China in April, ” according to the report.

Responding a query on China expelling Indian Journalists during the briefing, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, “All foreign journalists, including Chinese journalists have been pursuing journalistic activities in India without any limitations or difficulties in reporting or doing media coverage.”

“Meanwhile, Indian journalists in China have been operating with certain difficulties, such as not being permitted to hire locals as correspondents or journalists. As you know, foreign media can and do freely hire local journalists to work for their bureaus in India. In addition, Indian journalists also face several restrictions while getting access and travelling locally,” he added.

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In 2016, India refused to extend visas to three Chinese journalists after they were found indulging in activities beyond their journalistic brief.

Three Chinese journalists based in India representing the state-run Xinhua news agency were denied permission for an extended stay in the country.

Since then, the rift in India-China ties has grown, following the deadly clash in Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh in June 2020.

India has maintained that the bilateral relationship cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border area.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.