Saturday, March 29, 2025
India blocks Chinese media outlets on X amid rising tensions over Kashmir, accusing them of amplifying Pakistani misinformation.
In a significant escalation of its media policy, India blocks Chinese media accounts on X (formerly Twitter), including the state-run Xinhua and Global Times, claiming they were spreading Pakistani propaganda following deadly cross-border clashes. The action underscores India’s growing concern over foreign narratives influencing public sentiment during regional crises.
The decision to restrict Chinese media presence follows India’s protest against reports it says falsely depicted Pakistan’s military successes. These reports, notably from the Global Times, claimed Pakistan had downed Indian fighter jets—a story Indian officials labeled as “disinformation.”
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has yet to confirm whether this move is part of a wider clampdown, which recently included the suspension of thousands of other accounts, many from international media and journalists.
Among the affected platforms was Turkey’s TRTWorld, another Pakistani ally. While most accounts remain blocked, Global Times briefly resurfaced following a legal request. Both China and Turkey are long-time defense partners of Pakistan, providing military hardware and diplomatic backing.
India blocks Chinese media at a time when narratives around national security are under intense scrutiny. The recent military skirmishes marked the worst escalation between India and Pakistan in decades, prompting an information war online and offline.
Tensions escalated further when Beijing announced new “standardised” names for parts of Arunachal Pradesh—India’s northeastern state that China refers to as Zangnan. India immediately rebuked the move, calling it “vain and preposterous.”
“Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.
China defended the renaming, insisting it was within its sovereign rights.
India and China, the two most populous nations, share a 3,800km disputed Himalayan border. Their fraught relationship has seen frequent military face-offs, including the deadly Galwan Valley clash in 2020, which killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four from China.
As regional tensions deepen, and foreign media narratives become flashpoints, India’s firm response signals its unwillingness to tolerate external influence, especially when national sovereignty is at stake.
