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Twitter Apologises to China for Suspending Embassy Handle in Sri Lanka

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New Delhi (Sputnik): On Monday, American micro-blogging site Twitter suspended official account of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, without citing any specific reason. However, China reacted sharply and people on social media blamed Twitter for curbing the Chinese view in the strategically important island in the Indian Ocean region.

A day after suspending the handle of the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka, Twitter has restored the account citing a “systematic mistake”, and apologised.

The account was only reactivated after the Chinese Embassy lodges two protests, requesting to clarify and correct the decision.

“The embassy feels regretful about this 'systematic mistake', and would like to reiterate that freedom of speech must be honoured, while not being misused to spread groundless, racial, or hate speech nor be treated with double standards", a statement issued by the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka reads.

Chinese authorities had been using the Twitter handle @ChinaEmbSL to share the relief efforts by China in the coronavirus-hit regions, including Sri Lanka. China is also making efforts to counter allegations about the origins of the coronavirus outbreak.

Meanwhile, Twitter also suspended the handle of Chinese Ambassador to Cyprus Mr Huang Xingyuan @ambassadorhuang on Tuesday. People on social media were furious over the decision and deemed it arbitrary.

Chinese embassies across the world have been using every social media platform to bust the alleged information war peddled against Beijing by Western media and governments.

The Trump administration has been accusing China of hiding the truth about COVID-19 virus to the world. However, the Chinese government has repeatedly stated that it had informed the world at the right time and it is Western governments which did not take timely action after being alerted.

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