(TibetanReview.net, Oct09’20) – India has obliquely rejected China’s demand Oct 7 that its media respect New Delhi’s “One China” policy on the issue of Taiwan. “There is a free media in India that reports on issues as it sees fit,” the PTI news agency Oct 8 quoted India’s External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava as saying at a media briefing.
Earlier, in a letter sent to Indian journalists, the Chinese embassy said, “All countries that have diplomatic relations with China should firmly honor their commitment to the One-China policy, which is also the long-standing official position of the Indian government.”
“We hope Indian media can stick to Indian government’s position on the Taiwan question and do not violate the One-China principle.”
The embassy sent the letter after the government of Taiwan issued advertisements in a couple of leading newspapers in India ahead of Taiwan’s national day on Oct 10.
While India has not changed its “One China” policy, it has stopped pronouncing this in joint statements with Chinese leaders because Beijing does not reciprocate by recognizing Arunachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir as parts of India.
In response, to the letter, the foreign ministry of Taiwan in a tweet signed off by Foreign Minister Joseph Wu told China that Taiwan’s Indian friends would ask Beijing to “get lost”.
India does not have diplomatic relations with Taiwan, which China insists is a breakaway province and will be reunited with the motherland.
Nevertheless, in 1995, New Delhi set up India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides and to facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges. The ITA is authorized to provide all consular and passport services.
In the same year, Taiwan too established the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in Delhi with similar functions.