Indian Diaspora Highlights Visa Issuance Issues At China Embassy Open House

Members of the Indian diaspora in China raised concerns over abusive anti-India content on Chinese social media platforms, declining work visa approvals for Indian professionals and employment restrictions affecting spouses during the Indian Embassy's first Open House interaction in recent years. The outreach programme brought together Indian professionals from various sectors in Beijing to discuss issues impacting 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 and addressed a range of concerns. The discussions focused on visa-related challenges, consular services, online misinformation and measures to strengthen engagement with the Indian community in China.

Among the key issues highlighted were the growing presence of abusive and anti-India content on Chinese social media, including posts targeting Indian culture and food habits. Community members also expressed concern over a decline in work visas issued to Indian professionals and restrictions preventing spouses from taking up employment while residing in China.

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Addressing these concerns, Ambassador Doraiswami said the Chinese government is also aware of the increase in negative online content and is taking steps to tackle the issue. He added that the Indian Embassy is countering misinformation by sharing factual information through its official social media platforms. As part of efforts to improve bilateral exchanges, he also announced that documentation requirements for Chinese nationals applying for Indian visas would be simplified from next week to facilitate travel to India.

The ambassador said the embassy plans to organise more cultural events, building on the success of programmes such as the annual Vasant Mela, to showcase India's diverse traditions and cuisine. He also announced that the mission is working on establishing a support mechanism involving legal professionals to assist Indians facing work-related issues in China.

Doraiswami said the embassy intends to hold Open House interactions on a regular basis to strengthen consular services and provide the Indian diaspora with a platform to raise concerns directly with embassy officials. The initiative is part of broader efforts to improve community outreach while supporting India-China people-to-people exchanges amid ongoing efforts to improve bilateral ties.

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