China buying J&K-based websites amid tensions with India; Experts sound alert

Facing strong retaliation from the Indian side after its misadventure on the Line of Actual Control, China has now started buying Jammu and Kashmir based websites. This started in mid-April, following the Indo-China Standoff in Ladakh. In one such attempt by China, a Jammu based daily newspaper's website https://jammuexpress.com/  taken by a Chinese user.

The website is owned by a user named "tao tao peng" of "peng tao tao" Company. The details further read that user is from Zhejiang, the eastern coastal province of China. The mobile number of the user registered is also a china based number +86.57164***099. The user from China has purchased this website domain from an email id qq.com which is banned by Government of India. While accessing qq.com from India, it reads, "Your requested URL has been blocked as per the directions received from Department of Telecommunications, Government of India. Please contact the administrator for more information".

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'Site may be used for anti- India propaganda'

The website https://jammuexpress.com is related to Jammu based daily newspaper "Jammu Express" which is a registered title as per the official website of Office of Registrar of Newspapers for India (RNI) and is registered on the name of Sonam Deep Singh Aulakh, a resident of 10- Sadar Bazar, Jammu Cant. Satwari, J&K.

"There is a high possibility that such websites be used for Anti- India propaganda as for a lay internet user, it gives a sense that it is a J&K website. Since one such incident has come into the light, there will be many more which go unnoticed and could become a threat to the country," Prof. Vinod Sharma, Computer Science and Cyber Security analyst told Republic Media Network.

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"This website as per records available was purchased by a Chinese user on 25th April 2020 which is days after Chinese Army started its misadventure along the Line of Actual Control which led to violent Indo-China Standoff on June 15 in which 20 of brave Indian Soldiers attained martyrdom. This has to be seen seriously as such attempts are always made to spread Anti- India propaganda," another Cyber Security Expert said.

"Such websites and social media pages with names related to Jammu and Kashmir were earlier used by Pakistan to spread it fake propaganda on Kashmir. The main aim of these propaganda websites is to create a narrative-driven by its masters across the borders to disrupt the peace process and initiate a sentiment of hatred against the Government", he added.