Chinese officials op-eds In Indian News Papers – Burning Issues – Free PDF Download

2 Issues

• Chinese government advertorials in Indian (& other) newspapers
• Chinese officials’ numerous op-eds in Indian newspapers

Publishing Op-ed

• Number of countries do this, Government of India officials publish op-eds in newspapers in other countries too.
• The logic behind it is fairly straight forward: gives a glimpse of another country’s perspective.
• Chinese officials op-ed writing in Indian newspapers {Concerns}

Here are a few:

1. Frequency
2. Content Style
3. Op-eds are one-sided
4. Lack Of Reciprocity
5. Mislabelling

Frequency

• In the last couple of months, there have been at least 6 op-eds by Chinese officials in Indian newspapers.
• This is unusual and almost like the Chinese missions in India have a regular column.

Content Style

• Their op-eds don’t hesitate to attack Indian partners by name or touch on issues sensitive in/to India.

Chinese officials’ op-eds are one-sided

• 99% of time telling about the success story of China and the greatness of Xi Jingping
• Issue: Newspapers should consider publishing a different view on the same op-ed page that day – insisting on interviews instead

Lack of Reciprocity

1.  Indian officials do not get this kind of space in Chinese media
2.  when they get space, it has limits.

• An Indian ambassador couldn’t write op-ed regarding:
• ü Kashmir or Arunachal as PRC ambassador did about Tibet
•  ü Attacking Pakistan as PRC ambassador attacks US

Mislabelling

• There have now been at least 2 instances of labelling op-eds by the PRC ambassadors as “analysis” and as representing his “personal views.”
• But we all know the truth.

Lets talk about Advertorials

•  They are important for newspapers but: A. Lack Of Proper Labelling B. Passed Off By PRC in China As Coverage Rather Than Ads

Lack of Proper Labelling

• Either labelling noting that the ads aren’t articles is tiny Sometimes it’s non-existent.

Passed off by PRC as coverage rather than ads

•  Whether newspapers like it or not, the PRC embassy has passed off these advertorials as media publishing views (rather than “we placed an ad”).
•  e.g. from last month, a full-page ad the Chinese embassy placed and which it highlighted as “Indian media publishes special page”

Comment Section

• Do you think this is fair to India? What should the newspapers do?

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