Tensions rise between India and China as journalist visa renewals cause dispute

New Delhi: China has accused India of unfair treatment towards Chinese journalists and has threatened to take retaliatory actions. The allegations surfaced following a report by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), stating that both countries have expelled a significant number of each other's journalists by denying visa renewals.

According to the WSJ report, India has refused to renew visas for the only two remaining Chinese state media journalists in the country. Conversely, a Chinese official revealed that at least two out of the four Indian journalists stationed in China have been denied entry visas. Furthermore, a third journalist was informed that his accreditation had been revoked.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning expressed concern over the mistreatment of Chinese journalists in India, stating that they have faced unfair and discriminatory practices for an extended period. In 2017, India shortened the visa validity of Chinese journalists to as little as one month without any valid explanation, Mao Ning noted during a press conference.

The Global Times newspaper highlighted India's consistent refusal to approve long-term stay applications for Chinese journalists since 2020. The report cited instances where Chinese journalists were forced to leave India with a significant portion of their visas remaining, without any explanation from the Indian side. Recently, the visa of the sole remaining Chinese journalist in India was also not extended.

This exchange of actions between the two countries adds to the already strained relations caused by the deadly clash on the Sino-Indian border in 2020. Mao Ning stated that the Chinese side had to take countermeasures to protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese media due to the prolonged and unjustified suppression by India.

As of now, Indian officials have not commented on the matter. However, reports from April indicate that China had frozen the visas of two Indian journalists. The Ministry of External Affairs expressed hope that China would facilitate the continued presence of Indian journalists in Beijing.

The ongoing border standoff in eastern Ladakh for the past three years has severely strained bilateral relations between India and China. The two nations are also preparing for the G20 summit scheduled to be held in New Delhi in September, where India holds the chairmanship. Beijing's absence from G20 meetings held in Ladakh and Kashmir over the past two months has raised further concerns.

This dispute over journalist visas is not the first instance of China engaging in a tit-for-tat spat. In 2020, Beijing expelled several U.S. journalists in response to restrictions placed on Chinese state media reporters in the United States.

In other news, there is a possibility of a meeting between the Foreign Ministers of India and China in Cape Town, where both ministers are attending the BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting. Additionally, this week marks the 27th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in New Delhi, with representatives from both countries engaging in discussions on the situation along the India-China border.

The two sides openly reviewed the conditions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector and discussed proposals for disengagement in the remaining areas. Both parties emphasized the restoration of peace and tranquillity as a prerequisite for normalizing bilateral relations. Furthermore, they agreed to hold the 19th round of Senior Commander's meetings at an early date and to continue discussions through military and diplomatic channels.