China has asked the last Indian journalist to vacate as both neighbouring countries eject each other’s reporters in a tit-for-tat row, deepening the rift further.
Chinese authorities have notified the Press Trust of India’s reporter to leave the country this month, as per media reports.
His departure will wipe India’s media presence from the world’s second largest economy at a moment of deteriorating ties.
Indian media outlets had four reporters based in China earlier this year. The Hindustan Times reporter left over the weekend, while two Indian journalists from public broadcaster Prasar Bharati and The Hindu newspaper were denied visa renewals in China in April, reports said.
Last month, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said there was one Chinese journalist left in India, who was still awaiting renewal of their visa.
Earlier, New Delhi rejected visa renewal applications from two journalists from Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television.
Relations between Beijing and New Delhi have been tense since a deadly brawl on their “shared” Himalayan territory along LAC in Ladakh in 2020.
When India hosted G20 in Kashmir last month, China refused to attend and called the territory disputed.
The Himalayan region of Kashmir is divided between India, Pakistan and China.
