Published 18:00 IST, October 8th 2020
China infringes on India's press freedom; issues diktat 'Don't mention Taiwan as nation'
In a heavy-handed email, the Chinese Embassy in India on Thursday, instructed Indian media persons to 'stick to Indian government's stance on Taiwan'
In a heavy-handed email, the Chinese Embassy in India on Thursday, instructed Indian media persons to 'stick to Indian government's stance on Taiwan' while reporting on the upcoming 'National Day of Taiwan'. The email asked Indian media to not violate 'One China policy', shockingly ordering India to not refer to Taiwan as a 'country or nation' or Taiwan's 'leader' as 'President'. The Taiwanese embassy has replied to this saying 'Get lost'.
China's diktat to Indian media?
Infringing on Indian media's press freedom, the email read:
7th round of LAC talks
This development comes ahead of 7th round of talks between the Corps Commanders on October 12. After six rounds of military talks and five rounds of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) talks, the next talks too will include an MEA diplomat - Naveen Srivastava along with the XIV Corps Commander headed by Lt General P G K Menon, taking over from Lt General Harinder Singh. In the previous round of talks, the two sides which met after 50 days, had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on stabilizing the situation along the LAC, agreeing to stop sending more troops to the frontline and refraining from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground.
Moreover, the two countries' foreign ministers have reached to a five-point consensus on continuing dialogue and quickly disengage, while honouring all existing agreements and protocol on China-India boundary affairs. Over time, the Chinese People's Liberation Army has retreated from the Finger 4 area and Patrol point 14 along the LAC, while India pre-empted PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake capturing positions of 'strategic importance' in the Fingers area. 20 jawans were martyred on June 5-6 amid a violent face-off between Indo-China troops at LAC's Galwan Valley.
Taiwan's bid to be part of WHO
Amid the recent outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19), Taiwan has been asserting its sovereignty, demanding its representation at the World Health organisation (WHO). In the WHO's World Health Assembly in May, China agreed to a WHO-led probe into the origins of COVID-19, as the Assembly agreed to postpone debate on the matter of Taiwan's re-entry into WHA for the next few months. India which recognises China's 'One-China' policy, was caught in a conundrum between the two as the Indo-China relations were deteriorating at that time prior to the Galwan clashes at LAC.
Updated 07:40 IST, October 10th 2020