Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning says Chinese journalists have suffered unfair and discriminatory treatment in India for a long time.
She claimed that without a legitimate justification, the Indian government in 2017 reduced the duration of validity of visas held by Chinese journalists in India to three months or even one month.
She further stated that, since 2020, the Indian side has refused to review and approve Chinese journalists’ applications for stationing in India.
As a result, the number of Chinese journalists stationed in India has plummeted from 14 at the normal time to just one, says the foreign ministry.
"As we speak, the Indian side still has not renewed the visa of the last Chinese journalist in the country"
She further stated that, the number of Chinese journalists stationed in India is about to drop to zero. Considering this, the Chinese side has no choice but to take appropriate counter-measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese media organizations.
"I would like to stress that China is still willing to maintain communication with India under the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit."
She also said, China hopes that India will work in the same direction with China, seriously respond to China’s legitimate concerns, and take concrete steps as soon as possible to create favorable conditions for restoring normal exchange between the media organizations of the two countries.
On contray to this India has said, it hoped Beijing would allow Indian journalists to continue to work in China, and said that New Delhi allows all foreign journalists to operate in India.
India and China, whose relations have nosedived since a deadly military clash on their Himalayan border in 2020, have been involved in a row over visas for each other's journalists. (source: fmprc)
