Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 3: As Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit India next month for the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, Beijing has reportedly urged the Indian government to restrict media access for Tibetan exile and Falun Gong-affiliated news organisations, according to a report by ThePrint.
The report states that Chinese Embassy officials have conveyed their concerns to Indian authorities as the Ministry of External Affairs processes media accreditation for the summit. With New Delhi holding the authority to determine which journalists receive official access, Beijing is reportedly seeking to prevent Tibetan exile and Falun Gong-linked media from entering accredited media spaces, fearing they could question the Chinese delegation during the leaders’ summit scheduled for September 12 and 13.
China’s concerns extend to several Tibetan media organisations operating from Dharamshala, the headquarters of the exile Tibetan government, officially known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA). These include Phayul, Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan Service, Tibet Times, Tibet Express, Tibet Radio, and Voice of Tibet (VoT), all of which have consistently reported on the human rights situation inside Tibet and the Chinese government’s regressive policies implemented in Tibet.
The reported request comes as Xi is expected to make his first visit to India in seven years, following his last trip to Mamallapuram in 2019 for an informal summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The anticipated visit is widely viewed as a significant diplomatic milestone amid ongoing efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise bilateral relations after years of border tensions.
However, the report notes that there is no indication India has accepted China’s request. The report says Beijing has merely raised the matter with Indian officials, while the final decision on media accreditation remains solely with the Indian government.
The reported move also comes at a time when Tibetans across the world have intensified advocacy campaigns to draw international attention to the deteriorating situation inside Tibet. Tibetans and their supporters outside Chinese embassies and consulates, sustained hunger strikes, candlelight vigils, and appeals to the United Nations and the broader international community have gained momentum following the passing of Tibetan independence activist Lobga Rangzen, who self-immolated outside the United Nations headquarters in New York on July 2.
The upcoming BRICS Summit is expected to be India’s largest international gathering since it hosted the G20 Leaders’ Summit in September 2023. BRICS now comprises 11 full members—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia—along with 10 partner countries, making it one of the world’s most influential multilateral forums.
