The India-China thaw is beginning to manifest itself in the media with officials from the Indian Embassy in Beijing meeting representatives of China’s state-run Xinhua News Agency last week. It is seen as a cautious attempt to rebuild communication between the two sides.
The meeting took place on June 24 at Xinhua’s headquarters in Beijing. Shweta Singh, Minister in the Embassy held talks with Wang Jianxin, Deputy Director-General of Xinhua’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Department. The Indian Embassy said both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, without sharing further details.
The interaction comes amid efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise ties after years of strain following the 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh. Beijing is pressing New Delhi to issue visas to its journalists ahead of a possible visit by President Xi Jinping later this year for the BRICS summit.
China has not had an official Xinhua correspondent in India since 2023, while Indian journalists in China have also faced challenges in securing visa extensions and continuing their work. Currently, only two Indian journalists have been issued visas to work in China.
In his recent visit to India for the BRICS NSA meeting, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for greater bilateral exchanges including media Recently, both the countries have resumed direct flights, are issuing tourists visas while China has opened the doors to the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra.
The media issue has remained one of the unresolved areas in the broader India-China relationship, where both countries have been attempting to restore engagement despite continuing differences over the border, trade and strategic competition.
The meeting with Xinhua is not being viewed as a major breakthrough, but it reflects a gradual effort to reopen dialogue in areas where engagement had slowed significantly.
(With inputs from agencies)
