Why Beijing struggles to win Indian hearts and minds despite diplomatic thaw
Though the relationship between the Chinese and Indian governments has been thawing, Beijing has yet to win over the Indian public as it lacked a long-term strategy and communication channels, according to Chinese researchers. Beijing needed to find common ground by expanding its bottom-up strategies as “a matter of urgency”, Zhou Qingan, dean of Tsinghua University’s school of journalism, and Li…
Despite a diplomatic thaw, Beijing has struggled to win over the Indian public due to a lack of long-term strategy and effective communication channels, according to Chinese researchers. Zhou Qingan and Li Yiming, researchers at Tsinghua University, contend that Beijing needs to adopt a bottom-up approach urgently to find common ground.
Their recent article in a state-run communication journal highlights that China's current strategy, which relies heavily on official channels, lacks planning and fails to engage non-governmental opinion leaders. The content produced by China's media system, mainly focused on policy promotion, has not resonated with the broader Indian public.
There is a significant cognitive gap between the two populations, with stereotypes persisting and anti-India sentiment prevalent on Chinese social media. India's media ecosystem is highly fragmented, comprising 140,000 print publications and 900 TV channels in 189 languages, and regional divides further complicate Beijing's outreach efforts.
Moreover, the absence of Chinese state media personnel in India since 2023, due to visa restrictions, hampers direct communication. However, ties have begun to improve since 2024, with India issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens again, restoring direct flights, and engaging in high-level diplomatic and economic talks. In June, both sides escalated talks to restore reciprocal journalist visas.
Despite this progress, mutual distrust persists, with China's limited access to India and its close ties with Pakistan remaining contentious. The researchers argue that Beijing should focus on people-to-people exchanges, partner with moderate Indian media outlets, and produce narratives that highlight the shared identity of both countries as leaders of the Global South.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
