As tensions between New Delhi and Beijing take a new turn, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday urged India to show goodwill and welcome Chinese journalists to India.
A report in Reuters quoted Mao responding to a query about China’s decision to suspend the visas of two Indian journalists just weeks after New Delhi asked a Chinese journalist to leave India. She said, “We would like to treat Indian journalists like friend and family.”
China’s Actions Against Indian Journalists
The statement comes as, on the one hand, two Indian journalists — Anshuman Mishra and Ananth Krishnan — were stopped from returning to China after their visas were frozen by Chinese authorities.
They had recently returned to India for personal reasons. Krishnan, a correspondent from The Hindu, said that he was questioned for over 30 minutes while trying to leave China for India on 31 March.
In the past, Indian journalists have been able to easily renew and extend their visas by applying to the Chinese foreign ministry.
Let’s hope the MFA can be reasoned with. India and China benefit from informed China discourse in India. China’s increasingly hostile environment toward journalists both reflects concerning trends in the PRC and distorts coverage of China in ways injurious to Beijing’s interests. https://t.co/HxtSIeIdrE
— Christopher Clary (@clary_co) April 4, 2023
On the other hand, two other Indian journalists in Beijing, from the Press Trust of India and Hindustan Times, respectively, were allowed to stay back by Chinese foreign ministry officials.
However, this could change depending on discussions between the Indian envoys in Beijing and Chinese officials.
India Sends Back Chinese Journalist
Beijing’s decision came just weeks after India informed a correspondent from the Chinese state-run Xinhua news agency that his visa would not be renewed. He was also to leave India and return to China by 31 March.
The reason for New Delhi’s decision was unclear. Some sources said he was asked to leave because he was in India for too long, having arrived around six years ago. Others say that he “indulged in activities beyond his journalistic brief.”
The Indian government has not officially commented on the developments.
India, China Tensions Spread to Media
As the relations between India and China deteriorate, fewer journalists are living in each other’s countries.
Our response to media queries regarding the renaming of places in Arunachal Pradesh by China:https://t.co/JcMQoaTzK6 pic.twitter.com/CKBzK36H1K
— Arindam Bagchi (@MEAIndia) April 4, 2023
The number of Chinese journalists in India had surged to 14 in 2015. However, in July 2016, India sent back three Xinhua correspondents, including the chiefs of the Mumbai and New Delhi offices. The Indian authorities said the journalists had come under the “adverse attention of security agencies” for doing activities beyond their journalist brief.
Another Chinese media person was restricted from entering India in 2021 after authorities refused to renew his visa. Moreover, several correspondents left India in 2020 and did not return.
Currently, reports suggest that there is only one Chinese journalist in India.
China’s decision to “freeze” the Indian journalists’ visas reportedly comes amid repeated requests by Beijing for more permits to be issued for Chinese journalists. They are also urging Indian authorities to extend the visa period from three months to 12 months, given that Chinese authorities provide year-long visas to Indian journalists.