Zhenlin Cui
After nearly five years of tension, China-India relations have improved, with increased interactions between the two sides in 2025. As a gesture of goodwill, the Chinese government lifted visa restrictions on Indian citizens in March and eased visa rules, which have facilitated Indian citizens’ visits to China.
However, this has sparked a huge uproar on Chinese social media. Videos depicting Indian tourists in a negative light – such as eating with their hands on the subway and bathing in tourist attractions in China – were posted on social media and triggered a barrage of criticism and even racist remarks targeting Indians. Some comments even advocated that China should refuse entry to all Indian travelers and expel all Indians living in China.
This anti-Indian sentiment quickly became extreme, making it difficult to find calm and neutral comments among the thousands of posts under the videos.
This sentiment can be attributed to widespread stereotypes about Indians. On social media platforms like Douyin (the Chinese version of TikTok), Indians are often portrayed as unhygienic and morally deficient. Furthermore, reports of a surge in Indian immigrants “occupying” countries like Canada and Australia – despite being untrue – have led Chinese netizens to believe that China is a potential target for Indian emigration.
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