India objects to Chinese influencers showing Bangladesh as Delhi, calls it ‘peddling false narratives’

India reacted strongly on Tuesday to reports of Chinese influencers filming videos in Bangladesh and passing them off as depictions of India, calling on authorities in Beijing and Dhaka to take action against those involved in presenting a “distorted picture” of the country.

Reports in the Bangladesh media said scores of Chinese vloggers and influencers were involved in a campaign of shooting videos in the impoverished neighbourhoods of Uttara and Tekpara in Dhaka and passing off their broadcasts as originating in New Delhi.

“We have seen media reports in this regard. Such efforts to present a distorted picture of any country are unfortunate,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said when he was asked about the activities of Chinese influencers in Dhaka.

“Insofar as efforts by foreign elements to portray parts of Dhaka as Delhi are concerned, peddling of false narratives only undermines the credibility of those who are undertaking such actions and those who are behind them. We would urge that authorities concerned must take action against such people,” he said.

People familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that there has been a surge in anti-India content on China-based platforms in recent months. This coincided with a large number of Chinese influencers seeking Indian visas in Beijing, with most applications being rejected, the people said.

“It appears that the Chinese vloggers have turned to Bangladesh after being unable to enter India,” one person said.

Most of the anti-India videos on Chinese platforms described the country as underdeveloped and dirty and grappling with economic problems, the people said.

Prothom Alo, a leading Bangladeshi daily, said in a lengthy investigative report that more than 150 Chinese nationals have been involved in filming videos and livestreaming in Uttara and Tekpara, both densely populated and property-stricken areas, throughout the day for months. The Chinese nationals have also hired locals as guides.

“An analysis of the content revealed that although the videos are being recorded in Uttara, the Chinese nationals claim during their livestreams that they are broadcasting from New Delhi, India,” the report said.

During a livestream from Uttara on November 1, a Chinese woman said: “This is New Delhi. Their homes are extremely dirty. There isn’t even a fan inside the tin-roofed houses. This place is quite underdeveloped, dirty and unhygienic, and the law-and-order situation is poor.”

The development comes at a time when India and China are working to normalise their relations after reaching an understanding in October 2024 to end a military standoff in Ladakh that lasted more than four years and took ties to a six-decade low.