Indian Diaspora in China Flags Social Media Abuse, Visa Curbs at Embassy Open House

Members of the Indian diaspora in China raised concerns over abusive anti India content on Chinese social media, declining work visas for Indian professionals, restrictions on employment for spouses and consular issues during the Indian Embassy's first Open House in recent years, held in Beijing on Friday.

The outreach initiative, aimed at gathering feedback from the Indian community on issues affecting their daily lives in China, brought together a large number of Indian professionals from sectors including business, technology, education and research. The community highlighted concerns ranging from social media abuse and visa hurdles to spousal employment restrictions and consular support, prompting the mission to promise easier consular processes, legal assistance and wider outreach.

Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami, accompanied by Counsellor (Consular, Education and Community Affairs) Nitinjeet Singh and Counsellor (Visa) Ramesh Singh, interacted with members of the community. Doraiswami, who assumed charge in May and has stepped up engagement with Chinese officials as part of efforts to improve bilateral ties, said the embassy would continue strengthening its engagement with Indians living and working in China.

Participants highlighted the growing number of abusive posts targeting Indians, including comments about their food habits, culture and identity, on Chinese social media platforms. They also pointed to a decline in the number of Chinese work visas being issued to Indian professionals, which they said had affected employment opportunities, besides restrictions on jobs for spouses and difficulties related to consular services.

Responding to concerns over anti-India content online, Doraiswami said Chinese authorities were also concerned about the rise in such abusive posts and were taking steps to address the issue. He added that the embassy was countering misinformation by sharing fact based information through its official social media platforms.

The ambassador announced that the embassy would simplify documentation requirements for Indian visas sought by Chinese nationals from next week to facilitate greater travel to India and promote stronger people to people exchanges as New Delhi and Beijing continue efforts to improve bilateral ties.