Amid row, India says journalists from all G20 countries including China welcome to cover summit

This comes amid a row between India and China over the revoking of credentials of each other's journalists. There is one Chinese journalist in India and two Indian journalists in China. NEW DELHI: India will facilitate journalists from all G20 nations to cover the summit including those from China, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). This comes amid a row between India and China over the revoking of credentials of each other's journalists. There is one Chinese journalist in India and two Indian journalists in China. "We have been holding G20 meetings which have been attended by foreign journalists. The journalists have to register and get accredited and visas are thereafter issued. We will be doing the same for journalists for the upcoming G20 Summit in September," said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi. India has reiterated that foreign journalists, including Chinese, have been pursuing journalistic activities in India without limitations or difficulties in reporting. "Chinese journalists in India have no difficulties in reporting. However, Indian journalists in China have been operating with difficulties – such as not being permitted to hire locals as correspondents or journalists. Foreign media in India can freely hire local journalists to work for their bureaus. Indian journalists in China also face restrictions while getting access and travelling locally within China," said Bagchi. India hopes that Chinese authorities facilitate the continued presence of Indian journalists in working and reporting from China. The two sides remain in touch regarding this issue. Meanwhile, the Chinese side alleges that their journalists in India have suffered unfair treatment. "Chinese journalists have suffered unfair and discriminatory treatment in India for long. In 2017, India had reduced the validity of visas for our journalists to three months and sometimes just one month and since 2020 India hasn’t approved Chinese journalists applications for being stationed in India. At present there is just one Chinese journalist in India, down from 14 in the past. As a result China has taken counter measures," said China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning recently. China says that it would like to maintain communication with India under the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. "We hope that India will work in the same direction with China and respond to our legitimate concerns and create conditions for restoring normal exchange between media organizations of both countries," Ning said. India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reiterated that India’s relationship with China is not normal. India and China have several issues with each other – the biggest being the stand-off at the LAC. The recently held 27th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) which was held in-person did talk about disengaging from the LAC and restoring peace. (THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS)

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