Sports Minister will skip Asiad inaugural as China bars entry of Arunachal players

Source: The post is based on the article “Sports Minister will skip Asiad inaugural as China bars entry of Arunachal players”  published in The Hindu on 23rd September 2023

What is the News?

The Union Sports Minister has canceled his visit to the Asian Games, due to China’s denial of entry to Indian Wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh.

What has happened between India and China?

The Asian Games is being held in China.The Asian Games protocol provided accreditation cards that served as visas for entry into China, rather than requiring visas on their passports.

But three players from Arunachal Pradesh with valid e-accreditations were denied entry into China.

India protested strongly against China’s deliberate discrimination and selective obstruction of its sportspersons from Arunachal Pradesh.

On the other hand, Chinese authorities claimed they issued visas, but Indian athletes didn’t accept them.China also reaffirmed its position of not recognizing Arunachal Pradesh as part of India.

What other similar incidents have happened between India and China?

Recently, three members of the Wushu team belonging to Arunachal Pradesh were given “stapled visas” or paper visas on their passports to attend the World University Games in China.India had then also said that any attempt to distinguish them from other Indians was “unacceptable”, and put their visit on hold.

In 2022, India had announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, after the Chinese government decided to field a People’s Liberation Army soldier, who had been decorated for his role in the 2020 Galwan clashes with Indian soldiers, as a torch-bearer during the Olympic flame run.