China tells lone Indian journalist to leave as diplomatic tensions soar: Report

Tensions between China and India over the expulsion of each other’s journalists reached a new height after Beijing officials asked the lone Indian reporter to leave the country.

The correspondent from the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency was asked to leave Beijing earlier this month, Bloomberg reported, citing people aware of the development.

China's foreign ministry and India’s Ministry of External Affairs are yet to make a comment on this matter.

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His departure marks the end of India‘s minuscule media presence in the world's second-largest economy amidst deteriorating of ties between the two Asian giants.

Earlier in April, two Indian correspondents were barred from returning to China after the Chinese Foreign Ministry “froze” their visas. While in May, the third journalist did not have his accreditation renewed.

Last month, China claimed that its action was in response to India denying visas to Chinese journalists. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said there was one Chinese journalist left in India.

India hopes Beijing to allow Indian journalist to continue work

New Delhi had rejected visa renewal applications from two journalists from Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television.

Earlier this month, India’s foreign ministry said that Chinese reporters had been operating in the South Asian country without any difficulty, but Beijing was creating impediments for Indian journalists in China. Both countries were in touch over the issue, it added.

The visa row erupted a few months ago after Indian journalists hired assistants in China to help with reporting, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed Indian officials.

Beijing found it to be violating of a rule that allows limited employment to three individuals at a time who must come from a pool provided by the Chinese authorities, they said. India, on the other hand, doesn’t have a cap on hiring.

US, Australia also have tiff with China

Apart from India, the US and Australia also witnessed diplomatic tensions over journalist visas.

After the Trump administration designated a handful of Chinese media companies as "foreign missions" and put a capon the number of Chinese journalists in the country, Beijing responded by revoking press credentials for reporters at US media companies.

In 2020, two Australian journalists based in China fled the country as diplomatic tensions worsened between the two nations. The two men were initially banned 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 staff and seizing their property.

(With inputs from agencies)

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