India blocks X accounts of Chinese state media for spreading Pakistani propaganda, fake news

New Delhi: In a significant diplomatic and digital move, India on Wednesday blocked the X accounts of China’s state-run media outlets, Global Times and Xinhua News Agency, for spreading disinformation and Pakistani propaganda amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan.

The decision came after the handles of both outlets were found promoting a barrage of fake news and inflammatory narratives during and after Pakistan’s retaliatory attacks in response to India’s successful ‘Operation Sindoor’.

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) coordinated the move, citing national security and public order concerns.

Officials said that both Global Times and Xinhua, linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), were actively amplifying false claims, including viral disinformation suggesting the downing of an Indian Rafale fighter jet near Bahawalpur — a claim India swiftly debunked.

The Indian Embassy in China had earlier issued a stern warning to Global Times on X, advising the outlet to “verify facts and cross-examine sources” before sharing such posts.

“Dear Global Timesnews, we would recommend you verify your facts and cross-examine your sources before pushing out this kind of disinformation,” the Embassy wrote, responding to one of the outlet’s misleading posts.

“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 added.

The fake narrative involving the Rafale jet was traced back to a 2021 crash involving a MiG-21 in Punjab’s Moga district.

The Press Information Bureau’s (PIB) Fact Check division flagged the image being circulated as misleading and warned, “Beware of old images shared by pro-Pakistan handles in the present context.”

India’s precision strikes under ‘Operation Sindoor’ targeted terror hubs in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) in retaliation for the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 civilians were killed.

Following India’s decisive military response, a digital campaign by several Pakistan-aligned and CCP-affiliated platforms tried to shift the narrative with disinformation — a move India responded to with a clampdown on access.

IANS