The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday said that even though the hiring of local staff requires the approval of local authorities, the Indian embassies and consulates “ensure due security precautions” while appointing any personnel.
MEA's response came after a leading English daily on Wednesday reported that at least one Communist Party of China (CPC) member was hired by the Indian consulate in Shanghai.
“We have noted the media reports in this regard. And we are not in a position to independently verify the data. In certain countries, the hiring of local staff requires the approval of local authorities. However, all our missions and posts ensure due security precautions in this regard.” The Ministry of External Affairs’ official spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said while responding to questions at the weekly briefing on Thursday.
Reflecting on the report, the Chinese embassy in India called it ‘ridiculous’ and promoted by ‘anti-China’ forces.
The Communist Party of China plays an important part in the Chinese working class, the Chinese people, and the Chinese Nation. All of the 92 million members of the CPC are outstanding people who play an exemplary role for the country, Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said on Thursday.
“Such allegation hyping up the ‘CPC infiltration’ is groundless out of ideological prejudice. The members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) are not ‘monsters or scourges’. They are all ordinary human beings who serve the people with their hearts and souls. Is there really anything to be afraid of? It is absolutely ridiculous and wantonly smearing to maliciously label CPC members as ‘espionage’,” he added.
The Chinese government termed the report as an attempt to develop an “ideological confrontation.”
The seven CPC branches with an India connection cumulatively have 91 party members. Separately, a list of local Chinese professionals hired by as many as 30 foreign consulates using the services of Chinese state-owned Foreign Agency Service Department, includes one such professional employed by the Consulate General of India in Shanghai, according to the dataset acquired and reported by The Indian Express.
