INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
NEW DELHI: In a tit-for-tat move amid an intensifying media row, China has asked the last Indian journalist operating in the country to
leave by the end of the month.India had four reporters based in China this year
Two were barred from returning in April after their visas were "frozen", and another journalist left Beijing last week.The last Indian
reporter in China, from the Press Trust of India news agency, will leave this month when his visa expires, as per a Bloomberg report.This
will leave India without a media presence in the world's second largest economy.'No limitations on journalists in India'Refuting Beijing's
allegations that Chinese journalists had been accorded "unfair arrangements" in India, foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi recently
said that "all foreign journalists, including Chinese journalists, have been pursuing journalistic activities in India without any
limitations or difficulties in reporting or doing media coverage".Bagchi said Indian journalists in China, however, had 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 but China has not allowed this
In addition, Indian journalists also face several restrictions while getting access and travelling locally," he added.What triggered the
row?According to media reports, the row was triggered after Beijing barred Indian journalists operating in China from hiring local
correspondents or even travelling locally
Beijing imposed measures limiting employment to three individuals at a time who must come from a pool provided by the Chinese authorities,
said the Bloomberg report
journalists after India took similar action last month against two Chinese state media journalists in Delhi
New Delhi had rejected visa renewal applications from two journalists from Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television
India had approved temporary visas for Chinese state media reporters visiting for a Shanghai Cooperation Organisation foreign ministers'
meeting in May.Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said there was one Chinese journalist left in India, who was still awaiting
renewal of visa.Our journalists treated unfairly: ChinaChinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin on Monday alleged that in recent
years "Chinese journalists in India have been accorded unfair and discriminatory arrangements"
"We hope that India will continue to issue visas for Chinese journalists and remove the unreasonable restrictions and create favourable
conditions for media exchanges," Wang said
Wang said India had not approved new visas for Chinese journalists since 2020, resulting in a drop from 14 to only one Chinese correspondent
"It is very unfortunate that nothing has been done on the Indian side," he said, adding: "China is ready to act on the principles of mutual
respect, equality and mutual benefit to keep in communications with the Indian side, and we hope that India will meet China
halfway."Relations between India and China have been souring since a deadly military clash along the Line of Actual Control in 2020
China in media row with US and Australia tooChina and the US have also been in a years-long dispute over journalist visas
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
That year, Beijing accused Canberra of raiding the homes of Chinese state-media staff and seizing their property.(With inputs from agencies)
