India engages China on journalist visas ahead of possible Xi visit

India has stepped up engagement with Chinese media as Beijing presses New Delhi to issue visas to its journalists ahead of a possible visit by President Xi Jinping later this year. On June 24, officials from the Indian embassy in Beijing met with representatives of Chinese state-run news agency Xinhua. The meeting was between Shweta Singh, minister at the Indian embassy, and Wang Jianxin, deputy director general of Xinhua’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Department. It marked the first such high-level discussion since the last accredited Chinese journalist departed India in June 2023 after being denied a visa extension, ending a continuous presence that had lasted since the normalization of ties in the late 1980s.

The Indian embassy described the interaction as exchanging views on issues of mutual interest, but sources familiar with the matter say substantive progress will take time. This outreach is part of a broader effort by the embassy to engage senior editors at leading Chinese media organizations. The Xinhua meeting is seen as a test case: if visas are restored, Xinhua would likely be one of the first outlets to return. However, any breakthrough depends on both sides agreeing on reciprocity, a key demand from Beijing. The talks come amid cautious optimism over a potential Xi visit to India later this year, which could provide further impetus for resolving the journalist visa impasse.