New Delhi, Nov 17 (IANS) India has taken up with China the issue of visa denial to the manager of the Indian badminton squad, a senior official said on Thursday.
"This matter has been brought to our notice now," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said at his weekly media briefing here.
"The government's position on differential treatment of Indian passport holders is clear and well known," he said. "We have conveyed it to the Chinese side."
The Secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh State Badminton Association, Bamang Tago, who was named the manager of the Indian squad for the Thaihot China Open 2016 badminton tournament that began in Fuzhou on November 15, was denied a visa by Beijing.
According to reports, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi informed Tago that he was denied the visa because of his Arunachal domicile.
"We expect them (Chinese authorities) to address this issue in the spirit of reciprocity and smooth development of bilateral relations," Swarup said.
This is not the first time China has not granted visa to Indian citizens from Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims to be southern Tibet.
--IANS
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