China on Wednesday issued a series of guidelines for Indian media for coverage of Taiwan’s National Day, observed on October 10, saying that all countries that have diplomatic relations with Beijing must “firmly honor their commitment to the one-China policy. “.
The move followed full-page advertisements published by the Taiwanese government in two Delhi-based newspapers ahead of the national day, which featured a picture of President Tsai Ing-wen and the slogan “Taiwan and India are natural partners.” The announcement was referring to Taiwan’s efforts to counter Covid-19 and its sharing of experiences and essential medical items with like-minded partners.
In the context of the India-China border standoff, experts and commentators have asked New Delhi to review its relations with Taipei, which has been grappling with the actions of the Chinese military in recent months.
In 1995, India and Taiwan established representative offices in their respective capitals, although the two parties do not have formal diplomatic relations. Taiwan has the Taipei Economic and Cultural Center in New Delhi, while India has the India-Taipei Association in Taipei to promote interactions and facilitate business, tourism and interpersonal exchanges.
People familiar with the events said, on condition of anonymity, that Taiwan had canceled a reception for its national day due to the Covid-19 pandemic and would only have announcements and a television show to mark the occasion.
A letter sent by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi referred to the “upcoming so-called ‘National Taiwan Day'” and said that “I would like to remind our friends in the media that there is only one China in the world, and the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the only legitimate government representing all of China. ”
“Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory … All countries that have diplomatic relations with China must firmly honor their commitment to the one-China policy, which is also the long-standing official position of the Indian government,” the statement read. letter. .
“We hope that the Indian media can stick to the Indian government’s position on the Taiwan issue and not violate the one-China principle. In particular, Taiwan will not be referred to as a ‘country (nation)’ or ‘ROC’ or the leader of the Taiwan region of China as ‘President’, so as not to send the wrong signals to the general public, “he added The letter also said.
The Chinese embassy said it “appreciates the good faith and efforts of the friends of the media” and was “willing to maintain communication with the friends of the media on the reports related to China.
In recent weeks, Indian officials have been attentive to the Chinese embassy’s efforts to project their views on the border standoff in the Indian media, especially as the growing perception on the Indian side is that the views of the Indian diplomats in Beijing are not given a similar game by the Chinese state media.
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