China Asks Last Indian Journalist to Leave the Country

In a move that is sure to further increase relations between China and India, the Chinese authorities have demanded the last remaining Indian journalist to leave the country. The PTI correspondent has been sent to go by the end of this month, virtually removing India’s media presence from China.

This current development comes after a series of occurrences earlier this year, when four Indian journalists were harmed by China’s activities. The first journalist, from Hindustan Times, willingly returned from China earlier. Also, in April, China said no to reissue the visas of two people who has connection with Prasar Bharti and The Hindu.

Now, with the PTI reporter being ordered to leave, China’s foreign ministry has remained tight-lipped, failing to comment on the expulsion of media. These recent incidents have paralleled India’s own denial of visa renewal petitions for two Chinese journalists from Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television.

The deportation of Indian journalists from China not only illustrates the worsening ties between the two Asian economic heavyweights but also raises worries about the free movement of information and the relevance of press freedom. The lack of Indian journalists in China would surely hamper the worldwide coverage of events and developments inside the nation.

This action comes at a time when China and India have been involved in a variety of disagreements, including border tensions and economic problems. The deportation of journalists further exacerbates the fragile relationship between the two countries and underlines the rising difficulty encountered by journalists in reporting from unfriendly settings.