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China-India relations
ChinaDiplomacy

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi deletes Weibo after China app ban

  • Weibo said it deleted Modi’s account on Wednesday after request from the Indian embassy
  • Modi had been one of the few heads of state to use the Chinese microblogging platform

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Weibo has deleted the account of India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi upon request from the Indian embassy. Photo: AFP
Kinling Lo

Chinese microblogging platform Weibo announced on Wednesday it had removed the account of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after receiving a shutdown request from the Indian embassy.

The decision to close the account, which Modi opened in 2015 and had 244,000 followers, comes just days after a decision by India to ban 59 Chinese-made apps, including TikTok and WeChat, citing national security and privacy concerns.

The account closure and app bans come as relations between China and India have spiralled following a high-altitude border clash that resulted in casualties on both sides and left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Top military commanders from the two countries met this week to try and cool the heightening tensions.

Tensions between the two most populated countries have been high after a border clash left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Photo: AP
Tensions between the two most populated countries have been high after a border clash left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Photo: AP

Modi’s Weibo account had been a tool used to engage with a Chinese audience for the past five years, although he posted only about 100 times.

Modi also used to send birthday greetings to Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang. In one of his first Weibo posts in 2015, Modi publish a selfie taken with Li and wrote, "Premier Li Keqiang, Happy birthday to you and wish you a long life. I recall our meeting in May very enthusiastically". He did not send a birthday message to Xi on June 15 and his account was deleted on Li’s July 1 birthday.

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