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The last Indian journalist in China has been asked to leave as Beijing and New Delhi’s tit-for-tat expulsion of each other’s journalists has deepened a rift between the two Asian economic powerhouses.
Chinese authorities have instructed Press Trust of India journalists to leave China this month, according to a person familiar with the matter. His departure will erase the influence of Indian media in the world’s second-largest economy at a time when relations between the two countries have soured.
Earlier this year, Indian media outlets had four correspondents based in China. Hindustan Times reporters left over the weekend, while two Indian journalists from public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and The Hindu were denied visa renewals in China in April.
Chinese Foreign Ministry India’s foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment.
Last month, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said a Chinese journalist remained in India and was still awaiting a visa renewal. Earlier, New Delhi rejected the visa renewal applications of two journalists from Xinhua News Agency and CCTV.
India’s foreign ministry said earlier this month that Chinese journalists did not face any difficulties in conducting their work in the South Asian country, but that was not the case for Indian journalists based in China. It added that the two countries were engaged on the issue.
According to Indian officials familiar with the matter, the visa dispute began several months ago after Indian journalists hired assistants in China to assist with reporting. The officials asked not to be identified due to the sensitivity of the situation. They say Beijing has taken steps to limit hiring to three people at a time, who must come from a talent pool provided by Chinese authorities. India has no recruitment cap.
Relations between Beijing and New Delhi Relations between the two countries have been tense since a deadly row on the Himalayan border in 2020. China has since tried to separate the dispute from the overall relationship and focus on trade and economic ties, but India says relations cannot return to normal until the border issue is resolved.
The visa denials come as India hosts the Shanghai Cooperation Dialogue meeting this year initiated by the G20 and China. Xi is expected to attend the Group of 20 leaders’ summit in September as China seeks to build its diplomatic and political influence around the world.
China and the United States have also been at odds for years over visas for journalists. After the Trump administration designated a handful of Chinese media companies as “foreign missions” and limited the number of Chinese journalists in the country, Beijing responded by revoking the press credentials of journalists from U.S. media companies.
In 2020, two Australian journalists based in China fled China as diplomatic tensions between the two countries worsened. The two men were initially barred from leaving and spent five days under consular protection until Australian diplomats could negotiate their departure. That year, Beijing accused Canberra of raiding the homes of Chinese state media workers and confiscating their property.
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