Prime Minister Modi Shuts Weibo After China App Ban 1g5a2d Technology News

PM Modi has been an infrequent of the Chinese social media platform. 6p4f12

By Reuters | Updated: 2 July 2020 17:44 IST

Prime Minister Modi Shuts Weibo After China App Ban

Photo Credit: Reuters/ Altaf Hussain 4p3n32

The Indian embassy in Beijing did not immediately respond to an e-mailed request for comment

Highlights

PM Modi posted on Sina Weibo for the first time in 2015
He had more than 200,000 followers and 100 posts
The was shut after a request from the Indian embassy

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has deleted his on Sina Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, an Indian government source and the company said, as tensions between the two countries continue to simmer over a border skirmish.

Since posting on Sina Weibo the first time in 2015 during a visit to China, PM Modi has been an infrequent of the Chinese social media platform. He had more than 200,000 followers and 100 posts before the was shut.

Sina Weibo announced the closure of the late on Wednesday and the removal comes a few days after India TikTok, following the border clash between the two nations.

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An Indian government source told Reuters on Thursday that it took time to get PM Modi's taken down.

"For VIP s, Weibo has a more complex procedure to quit which is why the official process was initiated. For reasons best known to the Chinese, there was great delay in granting this basic permission," the source said.

India lost 20 soldiers in the clash last month at the disputed Himalayan border in what it said was a premeditated attack by Chinese troops. Beijing rejected the allegations and blamed frontline Indian troops for crossing into its side of undemarcated border.

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PM Modi was among a handful of foreign leaders with a Weibo .

Notably, PM Modi revealed the birth dates of both Chinese President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang by wishing them "Happy Birthday" on Weibo. The birth dates of senior leaders in China are usually not revealed publicly.

Chinese leaders are rarely active on social media. Foreign social media platforms such as Twitter are blocked in China.

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The Indian source said all of PM Modi's posts on Weibo had been deleted except for two showing pictures of him with Xi. "On Weibo, it is difficult to remove posts with the photo of their president," the source said.

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