India blocks X accounts of China's Global Times and Xinhua

New Delhi: The X accounts of Global Times and Xinhua on Wednesday showed that it has been withheld in India in response to a legal request.

The decision to withhold the account was made under provisions of Indian law following a public warning issued by the Indian Embassy in Beijing. In a sharp rebuke on X, the embassy cautioned Global Times against publishing unverified claims about Indian military operations.

In a follow-up message, the embassy elaborated that multiple social media accounts sympathetic to Pakistan had been circulating unsubstantiated claims related to the alleged losses suffered by the Indian armed forces. 

Several pro-Pakistan handles are spreading baseless claims in the context of #OperationSindoor, attempting to mislead the public. When media outlets share such information without verifying sources, it reflects a serious lapse in responsibility and journalistic ethics," the embassy's post said.

The official X account of Global Times now reads, "Account Withheld. @globaltimesnews has been withheld in IN in response to a legal demand."

The Press Information Bureau's Fact Check Unit has also flagged multiple visuals and reports linked to Operation Sindoor as either doctored or recycled from unrelated incidents. Officials said the move to block the account was necessary to prevent misinformation that could affect public order and national security.

The development comes amid broader tensions between India and China, especially after Beijing's recent move to release a fresh list of renamed locations in Arunachal Pradesh. India swiftly rejected the act, calling it a "vain and preposterous attempt" to assert territorial claims.

"We have noticed that China has persisted with its vain and preposterous attempts to name places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated on Wednesday.

"Consistent with our principled position, we reject such attempts categorically. Creative naming will not alter the undeniable reality that Arunachal Pradesh was, is, and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement. 

China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of its territory, has often released maps with several places within the northeastern state renamed. In 2024, China released a list of 30 new names of various places in Arunachal Pradesh, which India categorically rejected.