India was not the first to use visas as a weapon. The two Asian giants are equally at fault for denying visas to each other’s journalists. China has a record of using visas as a weapon to stifle opposing views.
There are no tea leaves to read. The German foreign minister simply got off her plane earlier than expected, while the Russian arrived late.
Severe curtailment of religious freedom and other rights in Tibet are well-documented. It’s been called China’s “laboratory for repression.”
Western sanctions have squeezed Russian oil exports – and created bargains for India and China.
Inhospitable terrain, lack of access and politics complicate efforts to verify Chinese incursions into Nepal. But there's evidence something’s happening.
While the timing of their release is curious, attempts to debunk photos of captured Indian soldiers fall short.
At least 220 farmer deaths have been verified by Indian state governments. Families have been compensated, and more deaths are pending verification.
India’s central government agencies have a history of raiding media outlets to intimidate journalists – like the latest strike against a leading Hindi paper.
Under Xi’s tenure, screws tightened further on Tibetan Buddhists’ religious freedoms.
Press and hospital reports have blamed oxygen shortages for unnecessary COVID-19 deaths in India, where the pandemic response has been chaotic.
