India Denies Visa Renewals to Chinese State Media Journalists

The Story Behind the Denial of Visa

In what can be seen as another step towards the tense relations between the two nations, India has denied the renewal of visas to the last two Chinese state media journalists in the country. The journalists worked for China's state-run news agency Xinhua, and their visas were due to expire at the end of this month.

It is said that the Indian government's decision was due to the non-compliance of Chinese journalists with Indian laws and regulations. Reports suggest that the Chinese journalists were involved in activities outside their journalistic profession which is strictly prohibited by Indian laws in the country. This decision comes amidst the rising tensions between India and China over various issues including the border dispute.

It is not the first time that India and China have engaged in such activities. In 2018, India had refused to renew the visas of three Xinhua journalists based in Delhi, and later revoked the accreditation of the agency's India-based journalists in 2019. Similarly, China had expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters earlier this year citing a headline in the newspaper it stated was racist.

The numbers portray a deteriorating situation. In 2019, as many as 22 Indian journalists reported being physically attacked. Also, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics data from 2015 to 2019 on the total number of journalists killed each year, India had 30 documented cases. In comparison, Bangladesh had six cases and China, none.

1. India's decision to deny visa renewals to the two Chinese state media journalists can be seen as another step towards the tense relations between the two nations.
2. Non-compliance of Chinese journalists with Indian laws and regulations reportedly led to this decision.
3. Media freedom is an essential component of a democratic society, and it is important for the government to ensure that media organizations strictly comply with the nation's laws and regulations.