In a strong move to counter disinformation, the Indian government on Wednesday, May 14, blocked the X accounts of China’s state-run media outlets — Global Times and Xinhua News Agency. The decision came after both platforms were found spreading fake news and pro-Pakistan propaganda following India’s military operation, Operation Sindoor.
According to officials, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) took the action, citing concerns related to national security and public order.
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Sources said that Global Times and Xinhua, which are linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), had shared false claims, including one viral post about an Indian Rafale jet being shot down near Bahawalpur. This was quickly denied by Indian authorities, who confirmed the news was fake.
The Indian Embassy in China even responded directly to Global Times on X, warning them to verify facts and cross-examine sources before sharing such serious claims.
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It had also said that some pro-Pakistan social media handles were spreading baseless rumours in connection with Operation Sindoor, and called out the irresponsibility of media outlets that spread such content.
The fake image of the Rafale crash was traced back to a 2021 MiG-21 crash in Punjab’s Moga district. India’s Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fact Check team flagged the image and warned people not to be misled by old photos being reused in the current context.
Operation Sindoor was India’s precision strike mission that targeted terrorist camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK). It was launched in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 civilians — mostly non-Muslim tourists and all males — lost their lives.
After India’s strong military action, several pro-Pakistan and CCP-linked platforms tried to twist the narrative using fake news and digital propaganda. India responded firmly by blocking access to such sources to protect public trust and national security.
