Indian diaspora in China flags social media abuse at embassy open house

Indian community members in Beijing told the embassy about social media abuse, visa problems and spouse work curbs. The feedback has pushed the mission to promise easier consular processes, legal support and wider outreach.

In Short

• Community members reported abusive posts targeting Indian food, culture and identity
• Participants highlighted fewer work visas and spousal employment limits in China
• The ambassador said Chinese authorities were acting against rising online hostility

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

The outreach event was hosted by the mission on Friday and brought together a large number of Indian professionals working in different sectors in Beijing. Indian Ambassador Vikram Doraiswami, along with Counsellor (Consular, Education and Community Affairs) Nitinjeet Singh and Counsellor (Visa) Ramesh Singh, interacted with members of the community on issues affecting them.

Among the concerns flagged by the diaspora were the rise in abusive content against Indians, including comments on their food habits and culture, on Chinese social media platforms. Participants also pointed to a decline in the number of job visas being issued by China to Indian professionals, restrictions on employment for spouses and difficulties related to consular services.

Doraiswami, who took charge in May and has increased engagement with Chinese officials as part of efforts to improve bilateral ties, said the embassy would further simplify documentation for Chinese nationals applying for Indian visas from next week to make travel to India easier.

On concerns over negative and abusive content on Chinese social media, he said the Chinese government was also concerned about the increase in such content and was taking steps to address it. He said the embassy was countering misinformation by sharing fact-based information through its social media handles.

The ambassador also said the embassy planned to organise more cultural events, building on the strong response to annual programmes such as the Vasant Mela, to showcase India's diverse culture and cuisine. He added that the mission was working to create a mechanism with legal professionals to assist Indians facing work-related issues.

Doraiswami said the embassy also planned to hold Open House interactions regularly to improve consular services and address the concerns of the Indian diaspora, as the meeting brought together community feedback on social media abuse, visas, spousal employment and support services.

With PTI Inputs

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