Indian diaspora in China raises visa, cyber harassment concerns
Members of the Indian diaspora in China raised concerns over abusive anti-India content on Chinese social media, declining work visas for professionals, and restrictions on employment for spouses at the Indian Embassy’s first Open House in recent years.
The mission hosted the outreach initiative on Friday, bringing together a large number of Indian professionals working in various sectors in Beijing to discuss issues affecting the community.
Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami, accompanied by Counsellor (Consular, Education and Community Affairs) Nitinjeet Singh and Counsellor (Visa) Ramesh Singh, interacted with members of the diaspora on a range of issues.
Among the concerns raised were the increase in abusive content against Indians, including their food habits and culture, on Chinese social media platforms, a decline in the number of job visas issued by China to Indian professionals, restrictions on employment for spouses, and difficulties relating to counsellor services.
Doraiswami, who assumed charge in May and has stepped up engagements with Chinese officials as part of efforts to improve bilateral ties, said the embassy would further simplify the documentation required for Chinese nationals applying for Indian visas from next week to facilitate greater travel to India.
Responding to concerns over negative and abusive content on Chinese social media, he said the Chinese Government is also concerned about the rise in such content and is taking steps to address the issue.
On its part, the embassy is countering misinformation by disseminating fact-based information through its social media handles, Doraiswami said.
The ambassador also said the embassy planned to organise more cultural events, building on the huge response to annual programmes such as the Vasant Mela, to showcase India’s diverse culture and cuisine.
The mission is also working to establish a mechanism with legal professionals to assist Indians facing work-related issues, he said.
To improve consular services for the Indian diaspora, the embassy plans to hold Open House interactions periodically to address their concerns, Doraiswami said.
