The Indian government has blocked the X (formerly Twitter) accounts of three foreign state-run media outlets — China’s Global Times, Xinhua, and Turkey’s TRT World — citing legal demands, the platform confirmed on Wednesday.
The reasons for the ban were not made public, but the move comes just days after a heated exchange between India and Global Times over reporting on Operation Sindoor, India’s military action against “terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.”
The Indian embassy in Beijing had recently slammed a Global Times post as “baseless,” accusing the outlet of amplifying pro-Pakistan misinformation.
“Several pro-Pakistan handles are spreading baseless claims in the context of Operation Sindoor, attempting to mislead the public,” the Indian embassy posted. “When media outlets share such information without verifying sources, it reflects a serious lapse in responsibility and journalistic ethics.”
Global Times is affiliated with the People’s Daily, the official newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party, while Xinhua is China’s primary state-run news agency. TRT World is operated by the Turkish government through the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation.
The block comes amid rising geopolitical tensions. India and Pakistan have exchanged fire since the April 22 attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 people. India responded with Operation Sindoor on May 7. Pakistan retaliated with shelling along the Line of Control, which killed 22 Indian civilians and eight defence personnel.
Separately, India also pushed back against China’s latest move to rename places in Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as “South Tibet.”
India’s Ministry of External Affairs said, “We firmly reject such preposterous claims. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India.”
China has issued similar lists renaming locations in Arunachal Pradesh since 2017, drawing consistent objections from New Delhi.
