New Delhi: After China said that it would take “appropriate countermeasures”, India urged Beijing to continue to “facilitate the continued presence of Indian journalists” in the Asian giant.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson had said that it had “no choice but to take appropriate counter-measures” after the number of Chinese journalists in India had dwindled down from 14 to one.
In March, it had already become public that the two countries were taking retaliatory steps to make it difficult for journalists to report from their countries. The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the process was nearly finished.
“As we speak, the Indian side still has not renewed the visa of the last Chinese journalist in the country. The number of Chinese journalists stationed in India is about to drop to zero,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday in Beijing.
Two days later, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs responded 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”.
The MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi claimed that it was Indian journalists who were facing a tough working environment. “Meanwhile, Indian journalists in China have 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. In addition, Indian journalists also face several restrictions while getting access and travelling locally,” he said.
Asserting that India supports the facilitation of foreign journalists here, he added that there should also be “no deviations from normal journalistic behaviour and activities, or from the provisions governing Journalist visas”.
“We hope that Chinese authorities facilitate the continued presence of Indian journalists working and reporting from China,” he said.
Bagchi added that the two sides continue to remain in touch regarding this issue.
Earlier, Mao had claimed that China “is still willing to maintain communication with India under the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit”.
While MEA is the main liaison for foreign journalists, the Ministry of Home Affairs is the policy maker on visas for foreign nationals.