(TibetanReview.net, Aug04’26) – As New Delhi and Beijing work to gradually rebuild ties after years of fractured diplomatic relations, post the Galwan clash in 2020, Indians living and working in China have raised serious concerns over a stark rise in abusive anti-India content on Chinese social media platforms during an Indian embassy interaction in Beijing on Jul 31, said Indian media reports Aug 2. After the Galwan Valley clash, China’s state media adopted a markedly anti-India stance and this may have contributed to the rise in such phenomenon.
The concerns were expressed during the Indian Embassy’s first Open House interaction in recent years, which brought together a large number of Indian professionals from different sectors. Interacting with them were stated to be Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami, Counsellor (Consular, Education and Community Affairs) Nitinjeet Singh, and Counsellor (Visa) Ramesh Singh.
Among the concerns raised were the increase in abusive content against Indians, including their food habits and culture, on Chinese social media platforms, a decline in the number of job visas issued by China to Indian professionals, restrictions on employment for spouses, and difficulties relating to counsellor services, reported the PTI news agency Aug 2.
Doraiswami, who assumed charge in May and has stepped up engagements with Chinese officials as part of efforts to improve bilateral ties, has responded by saying the Chinese government was also concerned about the rise in such content and taking steps to address the issue.
The embassy is countering misinformation by disseminating fact-based information through its social media handles, Doraiswami has said.
The ambassador has also said the embassy planned to organise more cultural events, building on the huge response to annual programmes such as the Vasant Mela, to showcase India’s diverse culture and cuisine.
The ambassador also announced that documentation requirements for Chinese citizens applying for Indian visas would be eased from next week to encourage greater travel to India, reported the timesofindia.com Aug 2.
He has also spoken of the Indian mission working to establish a mechanism with legal professionals to assist Indians facing work-related issues.
The concerns raised by the Indian diaspora came amid a wider debate in China over the restoration of travel and visa services between the two countries.
Earlier, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong faced an online campaign, including calls for his recall, after China increased visas for Indian nationals and direct flights gradually resumed from 2025. The Chinese government rejected the criticism, noted firstpost.com Aug 2.
The report said an article published on a Chinese government website defended Beijing’s visa policy, saying more than 80% of visas issued to Indian nationals were for business travel. While acknowledging that India was yet to fully restore visas for Chinese citizens, the article warned against turning the visa issue into a political flashpoint.
It argued that escalating the issue and demanding immediate reciprocity would only narrow the space for improving bilateral ties, as both countries continue efforts to normalise relations after years of strained diplomatic engagement.
The engagement assumes significance as India-China ties have entered a cautious phase of recovery following the 2020 military stand-off in eastern Ladakh. Since the Oct 2024 border patrolling agreement, both sides have taken gradual steps towards restoring people-to-people exchanges, business links and travel after an intense period of military stand-off, noted the organiser.org Aug 2.